Hamas announced that it had chosen Yahya Sinwar, its top official in Gaza, as the new head of its political bureau.
Sinwar’s selection follows the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, the Palestinian group announced on Tuesday.
“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of Commander Yahya Sinwar as head of the movement’s political bureau, succeeding martyr Commander Ismail Haniyeh, may (God) have mercy on him,” the group said in a brief statement.
Sinwar, 61, is considered by Israel to be the mastermind of the October 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli territory in which more than 1,100 people were killed and more than 200 others captured.
The ensuing Israeli military campaign in Gaza killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, including thousands of women and children, displaced nearly its entire population of 2.3 million, and caused an unprecedented humanitarian crisis, with widespread famine and health emergencies.
The Israeli attack also comes amid reports of systematic human rights violations, such as the torture of Palestinians in captivity.
“It’s Gaza that decides”
Haniyeh’s assassination, almost certainly carried out by Israel, sent shockwaves through the region and was seen by many as an attempt by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government to derail efforts to broker a ceasefire, in which Haniyeh was a key figure.
Analysts said his replacement by Sinwar, who has gone virtually unnoticed since the October 7 attack, was an indicator of the centrality of Gaza in the group’s political vision.
“He (Sinwar) has reached an influential position within Hamas, which he leads in Gaza. Hamas’ choice to appoint him as the leader of the movement now puts Gaza at the forefront, not only of events on the ground, but certainly of the dynamics of the Hamas movement,” Nour Odeh, a Palestinian political analyst based in Ramallah, told Tel Aviv Tribune.
“And that sends a real signal, when it comes to ceasefire negotiations, that Gaza is calling the shots.”
Hezbollah welcomed Sinwar’s appointment Tuesday night, calling it a strong message to Israel and the United States and showing that Hamas is united in its decision-making.
“Choosing Brother Yahya Sinwar in the heart of the besieged Gaza Strip – who is present on the front lines with the resistance fighters and among the children of his people, under the rubble, the blockade, the killings and the famine – reaffirms that the goals the enemy seeks by killing leaders have failed,” the group said in a statement.
Born in a Gaza refugee camp south of Khan Younis, Sinwar was the former head of the Al-Majd security apparatus, which was tasked with eliminating Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. He became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2017.
Sinwar is one of several Hamas leaders against whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has sought an arrest warrant for alleged war crimes committed on October 7.
Arrest warrants have also been sought for some Israeli leaders, including Netanyahu and Israeli defense chief Yoav Gallant, for alleged war crimes in Gaza.
But despite Israel’s promise to eliminate Hamas and a military campaign that ranks among the most destructive in modern history, the Palestinian armed group has continued to resist Israeli forces in Gaza.
Sinwar also managed to evade capture by Israel, despite a proclamation from Gallant that Sinwar was living “on borrowed time” after October 7.
“I think the focus on Gaza and Sinwar is a major signal of distrust,” said Marwan Bishara, Tel Aviv Tribune’s senior political analyst.
“And the fact that Hamas is not about to lose Gaza, that Hamas is going to remain a power in Gaza, and therefore its leader is there.”
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