Hamas' Gaza-based leader Yahya Sinwar to replace slain political chief Ismail Haniyeh
Sinwar, considered the mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack, will succeed Ismail Haniyeh following the latter’s assassination in Iran.
Hamas has named Yahya Sinwar its new political leader following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh.
The Palestinian group said in a statement on Tuesday that the Gaza-based Sinwar will be the new head of its political bureau. Hamas did not offer further details on the appointment.
Sinwar is widely considered the mastermind behind Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that led to the current war. He has not been seen in public since the attack.
Former political leader Haniyeh was killed in Iran last week. Hamas described his death as an Israeli assassination operation. Israel has not commented on the matter.
Haniyeh was the political leader of the group and was based in Doha along with several other Hamas leaders.
Though Haniyeh oversaw the group’s international diplomacy with regional actors, Sinwar oversees Hamas' military activities in the Gaza Strip. Along with Mohammed Deif, who was recently killed in an Israeli strike in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, Sinwar is believed to have masterminded the Oct. 7 attack while Haniyeh was largely kept in the dark of the planning, analysts say.
Sinwar is widely considered the decider on whether Hamas will agree to a cease-fire with Israel. A senior Israeli security source told Al-Monitor’s Ben Caspit in June that Sinwar remains a “dominant presence” in Gaza and is “convinced that time is on his side” with regard to the war.
This developing story has been updated since initial publication.
