With the assassination of Salah Bardawil last night, the number of members of Hamas' political bureau who served on October 7 was reduced to 8
10 were assassinated, headed by Yahya Sinwar, in addition to the chairman of the Shura Council, Osama Mujaini.
The bureau currently relies on senior figures operating abroad, headed by Khalil al-Hayya, who served as Sinwar's deputy, and Nizar Awdallah, who almost defeated Sinwar in the last elections held for the bureau in 2021.
Bardawil is the fourth bureau member to be eliminated in less than a week, with the opening of Operation "Might and Sword."
Two of those eliminated (Yasser Harb and Muhammad Jamasi) were not elected in 2021 but served in the previous composition of the bureau, and it appears that they were reappointed to fill the ranks that were depleted following the eliminations.
Here is the list of those in the Bureau:
1.Yahia Sinwar, Head of Bureau - Killed
2.Khalil al-Hayya, Deputy - Abroad
3.Issam a-Dalis, Head of Administration - Killed
4.Rawwii Mushtaha - Killed
5.Marwan Issa, Liaison with the Military Wing - Killed
6.Jawad Abu Shamalah, "Economics Portfolio" - Killed
7.Zakaria Abu Maamar, "National Relations Portfolio" - Killed
8.Samah Sarraj, Cyber Branch in Turkey - Killed
9.Jamila Shanti - Killed
10.Mahmoud a-Zahar (79), Founder - In Gaza
11.Ismail Barhoum, Head of Finance Division - In Gaza
12 Salah Bardawil - Killed
13.Razi Hamad, Negotiations Delegation - Watched Abroad
14. Nizar Awdallah, now a member of the Leadership Council - Abroad
15. Kamil Abu Awan, "Education" formation - Observed abroad
16. Fathi Hamad - Observed abroad
17. Suhail al-Hindi - Observed abroad
* Osama al-Mazini - Chairman of the Shura Council, not a full member, also eliminated.