Gallant: Sinwar has gone incommunicado, Hamas looking for replacement

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said on Sunday that Hamas' external leadership is seeking a replacement for its Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, who has been incommunicado for weeks amid the war. 

During a situation assessment at the Southern Command, Gallant said that Hamas was shopping around to determine who would control the Gaza Strip, as “Hamas' Gaza operation is unresponsive, without local leadership for dialogue, prompting external leaders to seek a new internal head." 

Gallant added, "The Khan Younis Brigade has been defeated and is not functioning as a military entity in any way. Hamas is left with marginal forces in the central camps and the Rafah Brigade, and what stands between them and complete collapse as a military system is an IDF decision. 

“There's no one coming to their aid - no Iranians, no international assistance. What is demonstrated here is determination, perseverance and the Israeli military and national systems."