Following the assassination of two of its leaders within months, the Palestinian group Hamas has said it will not reveal the name of its new leader.

“Hamas said it will not reveal the name of its new leader,” BBC reported on Monday.

For “security reasons,” the group will keep the name of its new leader, who will emerge in March, secret.

Pending the appointment of a new leader, the group’s activities will be managed by a five-member committee. This committee includes Khalil al-Hayya, Mr Sinwar’s deputy; Khaled Meshaal; Zaher Jabarin; Muhammad Darwish, head of the Shura Council; and a fifth member whose identity has not yet been revealed.

Amid lingering hostilities between Israel and Palestine, former Hamas leader Mr Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran on July 31, while Mr Sinwar was assassinated last Wednesday in Gaza.

The assassination of Mr Sinwar, mastermind of the October 2023 attack that left over 1,000 dead, less than two months after he assumed leadership of the group, came as another episode in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine.

American President Joe Biden called the killing of Mr Sinwar a moment of justice, saying it would provide an opportunity for a ceasefire between the warring countries.

However, Khalil al-Hayya, Mr Sinwar’s deputy who lives in exile in Qatar, insisted that Hamas would not release Israeli hostages until Israel withdraws from Gaza and frees Palestinians held hostage.

Similarly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also said the killing of Mr Sinwar will not end the ongoing war in Gaza.

“Yahya Sinwar is dead,” Mr Netanyahu declared in a statement on X on Friday morning. “He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces. While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end.”