According to Ronen Solomon, an Israeli intelligence analyst who has followed Muhammad over two decades, it may be more likely that he takes over as leader of Hamas’s military wing.
Mr Solomon believes Khaled Mashal, the group’s former political chief, is more likely to become leader, with Khalil al Hayya, the Hamas deputy political chief, “by his side”.
One intelligence source noted how support for Sinwar had dropped in Gaza before his death, which may in turn affect his brother’s popularity.
In a September poll by the Palestine Centre for Policy and Survey Research, support for Sinwar had dropped from 52 per cent last December to 29 per cent.
Opinion remains divided after his death. Tala Khatib, a Gaza resident, said: “Some are sad and some blame him for the war, but many described the scene of his death as heroic.”
Who is Muhammad Sinwar?
Muhammad Sinwar was credited with the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, in 2006. The soldier’s release in 2011, in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian protesters, also led to the release of Yahya Sinwar, who would go on to mastermind the Oct 7 attacks.
In hiding for almost a decade, Muhammad Sinwar was rumoured to have been killed until he was shown in a picture, alongside his brother, at a briefing by Yoav Gallant, the Israeli minister of defence.
Working in tandem with his brother to orchestrate the Oct 7 attacks, Muhammad Sinwar’s speciality is cross-border infiltration and kidnappings, a key component in last year’s invasion by Hamas.
His role in last October’s atrocities placed him at number seven on Israel’s most-wanted list of Hamas targets.