Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar, a key figure in the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, as its new leader following the death of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in an airstrike in Iran.
This move is expected to further escalate tensions with Israel, who has placed Sinwar at the top of their target list after the Oct. 7 attacks that resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in southern Israel and the kidnapping of 250.
In a statement, Hamas announced the “selection of Commander Yahya Sinwar as head of the movement’s political bureau, succeeding the martyred leader Ismail Haniyeh, may God have mercy on him.”
Sinwar, who maintains close ties with Iran, has dedicated his career to strengthening Hamas. His promotion comes after the death of Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a bombing in Tehran. Additionally, a high-ranking Hezbollah commander was killed in Beirut last week, suspected to be the result of an Israeli strike.
These incidents have fueled concerns of a wider conflict involving Israel.
Iran has vowed retaliation, while Israel has accused Sinwar of masterminding the Oct. 7 attacks. Israeli officials believe he has taken refuge in Hamas’ extensive tunnel network in the Gaza Strip and is using hostages as human shields.
Last week, Israel claimed to have confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing, during an airstrike in Gaza in July. Hamas has not acknowledged his death.
Hamas’ representative in Iran, Khaled Kaddoumi, described Sinwar as a “consensus choice” popular among all factions and deeply involved in the group’s decision-making processes, including negotiations. In a message to the Associated Press, he characterized Sinwar as both a “fierce fighter on the battlefield” and someone who understands the Palestinians’ political aspirations for a state and the return of refugees.
Antony Blinken stated that Sinwar “has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding the cease-fire.”
He added that Sinwar must “decide whether to move forward with a cease-fire that manifestly will help so many Palestinians in desperate need, women, children, men who are caught in a crossfire. … It really is on him.”
Sinwar has been Hamas’ leader in Gaza since 2017, ruling with a firm hand.
In May, the International Criminal Court sought an arrest warrant against Sinwar for war crimes related to the Oct. 7 attack, along with warrants for Israeli Prime Minister and Israel’s defense minister for similar charges.