The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) confirmed the death of its leader Yahya Sinwar on the same day, but did not mention the candidate for Sinwar's successor.

Analysts speculate that Hamas may select a new leader from its core leadership residing in Qatar.

Sinwar was originally the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the Hamas Political Bureau, in Tehran, the capital of Iran, at the end of this month, Sinwar has ascended to become the top leader of Hamas.

The Israeli side said on the evening of the day that the Israeli army had killed Sinwar in a building in the southern Gaza Strip. He was regarded by Israel as one of the main planners of the Hamas attack on Israel on the 7th of last month and was reportedly hiding in tunnels in the Gaza Strip for a long time.

Analysts say that the core members of Hamas who are still alive today mostly reside in Qatar, including Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy of Sinwar. It is most likely that Hamas will select a new leader from among them.

The Hamas supreme decision-making body, the Shura Council, will determine the successor to Sinwar, considering factors such as whether Iran and Qatar support the candidate.

Hamas insiders and external analysts say the top contenders include Haya, Khaled Meshaal, the former leader of Haniyeh, and the Chairman of the Consultative Assembly, Mohammed Dahlan.

Haya has consistently been the chief representative for Hamas in ceasefire negotiations. Following Sinwar's death, Haya has become the "de facto supreme leader" of Hamas, wielding command over the Gaza Strip.

A Hamas source who declined to be named told Reuters that Haya is close to Haniyeh and Sinwar, maintains good relations with the armed wing of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades, and is expected to wield power within Hamas "without encountering problems."

Palestinian issue expert Akram Atallah also believes that even if Yahya himself is not in the Gaza Strip, the Al-Qassam Brigades will respect Yahya's authority and follow his command. However, other experts believe that Yahya has limited contact with Hamas's ground combat personnel, and in military matters, it is likely that the Al-Qassam Brigades will have the final say.

Another potential candidate, Mashaal, is one of the founding members of Hamas and served as the head of its political bureau from 2004 to 2017. However, he supported the Sunni opposition during the Syrian civil war, opposing the Assad regime, which led to a rift with Iran.

Atallah said that Hayya has a better relationship with Iran and has a higher chance of coming to power, but if Iran softens its stance, Meshaal is not out of the question either.

Another candidate, Darwish, is relatively low-profile, with little known about him externally, and he also maintains close ties with Iran.

Atallah said that another figure worth noting is Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Sinwar. He is a senior commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades and rarely appears in public. He has long been on Israel's wanted list and has repeatedly evaded Israeli assassination attempts. After Sinwar's death, his status within the Al-Qassam Brigades and even within Hamas will rise.

Insiders say that Hamas, regardless of who is ultimately chosen, needs to inform Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries in advance.