Israeli broadcasting authority reported that Hamas leadership in Gaza has begun studying options for appointing a replacement for Yahya Sinwar in the event of his elimination. The name being circulated as a potential successor to Sinwar is Rouhi Mushtaha.
Who is Rouhi Mushtaha?
Rouhi Mushtaha is a member of Hamas leadership in Gaza and is the person closest to Sinwar. They were both held in the same cell and were released together in the Gilad Shalit deal. Since then, Mushtaha has become Sinwar's right-hand man and his envoy for special missions. He may have been in contact with Hamas leadership abroad recently as well.
According to the authority, it was rumored in Israel that Rouhi Mushtaha may have been eliminated alongside Ahmad Ghandour, commander of Hamas' northern Gaza brigade and the link between the military wing and the political leadership of the movement.
However, it later became clear that Mushtaha had been hiding at that time in the Rimal neighborhood and that he remained alive. Since then, he has minimized his movements, and he has not been seen publicly or heard from since that time.
