Hamas announced on Tuesday (August 6) that Yahya Sinwar has been appointed as the successor to Ismail Haniyeh after his assassination in Iran. Sinwar is believed to have orchestrated the attack on Israel on October 7 last year, reinforcing Hamas’s radical stance.
The assault on Israel on October 7 last year was one of the most destructive attacks by Hamas in decades. He has been in hiding in Gaza since the start of the Hamas-Israel conflict.
In a brief statement, Hamas said, “The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the election of Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of this resistance movement, succeeding the martyr Ismail Haniyeh commander. May God have mercy on him.”
Following Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran, Israel is preparing to respond to potential attacks from Iran. At the same time as Hamas released the appointment announcement, armed militants fighting against the Israeli army in Gaza also launched rockets.
A Middle Eastern diplomat familiar with the situation of negotiations told Reuters, “This appointment means that Israel needs to deal with Sinwar to resolve the Gaza conflict.”
“This is a strong message, no compromise,” the official said.
Having spent half of his adult life in Israeli prisons, Sinwar is now the most influential Hamas leader following Haniyeh’s assassination.
Iran has vowed severe retaliation for the assassination of Haniyeh, putting the region on the brink of wider conflict.
Israel has not claimed responsibility for the assassination, but it says it has killed other senior leaders, including Hamas deputy leader Saleh al-Arouri killed in Beirut and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.
At the age of 61, Sinwar, born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, was elected as the leader of Hamas in Gaza in 2017.
Israeli Chief Military Spokesman, Navy Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, blamed Sinwar for the attack on October 7 last year, stating that Israel will continue to pursue him.
Sinwar’s appointment could lead to a tougher stance by Hamas in ceasefire negotiations.
For Israel, this appointment confirms that Hamas is an enemy committed to destroying Israel and is likely to be more insistent on seeing the Gaza battle through to the end.
The White House has declined to comment on Sinwar’s appointment.
However, a person familiar with Washington’s thinking said that this choice indicates that Hamas may take a hard line in ceasefire negotiations, making it more difficult to reach an agreement.
Nevertheless, they added that Israel has realized that Sinwar will ultimately have the final say on any ceasefire agreement, even before his formal appointment.
(This text is based on relevant reports from Reuters)