HAMAS has appointed Yahya Sinwar, the militant group’s Gaza chief, as its new head after the assassination of top leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week.

According to reports, this follows two days of lengthy negotiations between Hamas leaders in Doha.

Since 2017, Sinwar has served as the group’s leader inside the Gaza Strip. He will now become leader of its political wing.

The Hamas leadership unanimously chose Sinwar to lead the movement, a senior Hamas official told the foreign media.

Sinwar is believed to be hiding in the vast tunnel network underneath Gaza, removed from the intense fighting between Israel and Hamas waged above ground for the past 10 months.

Although Israel is aggressively searching for him, Sinwar remains an influential member of Hamas, including as the key decision-maker in a hostage release and cease-fire deal under negotiation.

“The Islamic resistance movement Hamas announces the selection of Commander Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement, succeeding the martyr Commander Ismail Haniyeh, may Allah have mercy on him,” Hamas said in a brief statement.

News of the announcement was met with a salvo of rockets from Gaza from militants still fighting in the besieged enclave.

It comes as Israel continues to brace for a response over the killing of Haniyeh.

Prior to his death, Ismail Haniyeh was viewed by regional diplomats as a pragmatic figure compared to others in Hamas – a key driver of the group’s political outreach.

Yahya Sinwar, on the other hand, is viewed as one of Hamas’ most extreme figures.

Sinwar currently tops Israel’s most-wanted list. Israel’s security agencies believe he masterminded the planning and execution of the 7 October 2023 attacks, which left over 1,200 people dead and 251 taken back into Gaza as hostages. – August 7, 2024