Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind Hamas’ recent attack on Israel and the current highest-ranking leader of the organization, has been chosen to lead Hamas’ political bureau moving forward.
Following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week, Hamas announced Sinwar’s selection as the new leader. Haniyeh’s death is suspected to be the result of a bomb attack orchestrated by Israel, although Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for it.
Sinwar, who is believed to be in hiding in Gaza, has now solidified his authority within Hamas after internal power struggles. Haniyeh, who resided comfortably in Qatar and engaged with global leaders, was seen as more open to ceasefire negotiations, although no agreement was reached after a brief pause in November.
Known for his hardline stance, Sinwar rose through the ranks of Hamas’ morality police and is considered a powerful figure within the organization. Despite being a target of Israeli strikes, he has managed to maintain significant influence.
During his twenty-year imprisonment in Israel for the murder of Palestinians collaborating with Israel, Sinwar became fluent in Hebrew and gained insights into Israeli operations. He was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange and took over as Hamas’ leader in Gaza in 2017.
Israeli officials view Sinwar’s promotion as a validation of their ongoing conflict with Hamas since the recent attack.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz expressed his stance on Twitter, stating, “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 organization off the face of the earth.”