YONI BEN-MENACHEM -- Israel succeeded in eliminating most of the military leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, headed by Muhammad Deif, the supreme commander of the military wing of Hamas, and Marwan Issa, the Chief of Staff of Hamas.

It also eliminated in Tehran the head of the political bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, and his deputy, Saleh Al-Arouri in the A-Dahiah neighborhood in Beirut.

Israel does not hide its intention to eliminate the entire military and political leadership of Hamas. It has stated this openly several times.

In the meantime, the leadership of the political bureau of Hamas abroad made immediate changes in order to maintain the functioning of the movement, and project self-confidence to the outside.

Yahya Sinwar was elected head of the political bureau of Hamas in place of Haniyeh, his brother Muhammad Sinwar was appointed the head of the military arm of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, while Zahar Alg Barin was appointed head of the military wing of Hamas in Judea and Samaria in place of Al-Aruri.

However, according to intelligence sources in the West, the leadership of the Political Bureau is taking seriously the possibility that the brothers Yahya and Muhammad Sinwar, who are currently leading the campaign against Israel in the Gaza Strip, will eventually be eliminated by Israel, and that it is only a matter of time.

Therefore, the Hamas leadership abroad shows a practical approach in view of the IDF's successes in the war in the Gaza Strip, and prepares for this possibility as well. This week it revealed for the first time the picture of Muhammad Darwish, head of the movement's Shura Council, in a meeting with Ziad Al-Nakhla, Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Organization.

Darwish's name came up as a possible successor to Haniyeh and a compromise candidate following the struggle for the position between Khaled Mashal and Sinwar, but in the end, due to pressure from Iran and the military wing on the leadership of Hamas abroad, Sinwar was chosen for the position.

However, according to security sources in Israel, if Sinwar is eliminated, Darwish's name will come up again as a candidate for the position of head of the Political Bureau. Therefore, the Hamas leadership decided to reveal his image in public, and to accustom the Palestinian public to him and his political positions.

It seems that Darwish also belongs to the pro-Iranian wing of Hamas, in contrast to senior Hamas officials Mashal and Musa Abu Marzouk, who belong to the "Muslim Brotherhood" axis led by Qatar and Turkey.

According to the assessment of security officials in Israel, Darwish supports increasing cooperation between Hamas and Islamic Jihad in regards to carrying out terrorist attacks against Israel. As you may recall, after the attack in Tel Aviv last week, the military wing of Hamas issued an official statement that it was a joint attack by it and the military wing of the Islamic Jihad.

At the same time, the Hamas leadership in the Israeli prisons is also preparing to fill the vacancies in the Hamas military and political leadership, following the targeted assassinations carried out by Israel. The Hamas leadership plans to integrate dozens of senior terrorists, who are supposed to be released as part of the hostage deal, into the military and political leadership in the Gaza Strip.

That is why it is very important that Israel follow the internal discussions of the Hamas leadership in Israeli prisons, through the intelligence of the prison service and the Shin Bet, and locate the trends for placing released terrorists in senior positions in the Hamas leadership.

Security officials in Israel say that Israel will have the right to veto some of the names that Hamas demands to be released as part of the hostage deal, and also the right to oppose the return of dozens of terrorists to Judea and Samaria or the Gaza Strip, and their deportation abroad instead. This will allow Israel to keep under its control in Israeli prisons many terrorists, and also to prevent the integration of other senior terrorists in the military arm of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Judea and Samaria.

The assessment of security officials in Israel is that Iran, together with Hamas and the Islamic Jihad, is planning to start a new intifada in the territories of Judea and Samaria, and also to renew the suicide attacks in Israel.

The expected release of hundreds of murderous terrorists as part of the hostage deal is a huge shot of encouragement for Hamas, which is expected to integrate the released terrorists into key positions in the terrorist activity against Israel.

Yoni Ben Menachem, NEWSRAEL Contributor and Epoch magazine commentator on Middle East affairs, is an expert in the field who has covered significant events in Israeli history, such as the first and second intifadas, military operations and more. He speaks the Arabic language in several different dialects, and has connections with senior figures in the Arab world, as well as in the political and military leadership in Israel. Ben Menachem served as editor-in-chief and CEO of the Israel Broadcasting Authority.