Hamas announced on Tuesday that Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds behind the deadly attacks on Israel on October 7, has been chosen to lead its political wing, reinforcing his dominance over the organization as it continues its conflict with Israel in Gaza.
Sinwar, who has been the leader of Hamas in Gaza since 2017, will now also replace Ismail Haniyeh, the former political leader who played a crucial role in indirect cease-fire talks with Israel. Haniyeh, who was living in Qatar, was killed in an explosion in Iran last week, an act widely attributed to Israel.
Born in Gaza, the 61-year-old Sinwar is a major target for Israeli forces and is believed to be hiding in tunnels to evade attacks. Despite this, he has been influencing the group’s stance in the cease-fire negotiations.
Sinwar’s new role comes as the Middle East braces for potential retaliatory strikes from Iran and its allies, including Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen, in response to the deaths of Haniyeh and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr.
Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of the bombing that killed Haniyeh in Tehran following his attendance at the inauguration of Iran’s new president. While Israel has not commented on the incident, US officials have privately assessed that Israel was responsible.
This holiday season, give to:
Truth and understanding
The Media Line's intrepid correspondents are in Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Pakistan providing first-person reporting.
They all said they cover it.
We see it.
We report with just one agenda: the truth.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed a severe response, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned of heavy retaliation for any aggression.
As tensions rise, the US has deployed additional military assets to the Middle East to intercept potential missile, rocket, and drone attacks.
For years, the political leaders of Hamas have been based outside Gaza or in the West Bank, leading to a divided power structure. Sinwar’s appointment is seen as an effort to unify leadership, though his movement remains constrained due to Israeli military efforts to capture him.
Sinwar, who joined Hamas in the 1980s and spent over two decades in an Israeli prison, was released in a prisoner exchange in 2011. His leadership in Gaza has made him more influential internally than Haniyeh, who served as the group’s diplomatic representative abroad.
Earlier this week, Israel confirmed the death of Muhammad Deif, the elusive Hamas military commander, in an airstrike.
Sinwar’s elevation is seen as a symbolic move aligning Hamas more closely with his hard-line stance. Hamas spokesman Osama Hamdan stated that Sinwar’s unanimous selection would not significantly change the cease-fire talks.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called Sinwar’s appointment another reason to eliminate him and Hamas. Sinwar has remained silent since the attacks on October 7.
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has declared that his group and Iran will respond to the killings of Shukr and Haniyeh. Following Nasrallah’s speech, Israeli jets flew over Beirut, causing sonic booms.
The conflict has already displaced over 150,000 people near the Lebanese-Israeli border. Israeli officials have discussed a possible invasion of Lebanon to push Hezbollah away from the border once the Gaza conflict ends.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Abdallah Bou Habib emphasized efforts to prevent a wider war. US President Joe Biden has engaged in diplomatic talks with regional leaders to de-escalate tensions.