Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new overall chief, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last week.
Sinwar, who has led Hamas in the Gaza Strip since 2017, will now head its political wing.
A senior Hamas official told the BBC that Sinwar was chosen unanimously by the Hamas leadership to lead the movement.
This announcement comes amidst escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran and its allies threatening retaliation for Haniyeh’s killing, which they attribute to Israel. Israel has not made any public comments on the matter.
According to a Hamas official, the decision to appoint Sinwar sends “a message of defiance to Israel.”
The official added, “They killed Haniyeh, the flexible person who was open to solutions. Now they have to deal with Sinwar and the military leadership.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz stated, “The appointment of arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of Hamas, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, is yet another compelling reason to swiftly eliminate him and wipe this vile organisation off the face of the Earth.”
Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari described Sinwar as “a terrorist, who is responsible for the most brutal terrorist attack in history.”
Former US National Security Council official Javed Ali noted that Sinwar’s leadership could complicate ceasefire and hostage release negotiations, describing him as “much more inflexible and much more difficult to negotiate with.”
