Yahya Sinwar Appointed as New Political Leader of Hamas Following Haniyeh’s Assassination

Hamas has announced the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as its new political leader in the Gaza Strip following the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran last week. The decision was revealed in a statement released by the Islamic Resistance Movement on Tuesday.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of leader Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement,” the statement read.

Shortly after the announcement, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, launched a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel, escalating regional tensions. Yahya Sinwar, previously the chief of Hamas in Gaza, is accused by Israeli military and officials of being one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of 1,198 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. This attack also led to the capture of 251 individuals, with 111 still held captive in Gaza, including 39 whom the military says are dead.

Sinwar’s appointment comes in the wake of Haniyeh’s assassination, for which Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel. However, Israel has not commented on the killing.

The retaliatory military campaign by Israel in Gaza has led to the deaths of at least 39,653 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, which does not provide a breakdown of civilian and militant casualties.

The new leadership under Sinwar is expected to continue Hamas’s strategies and operations, further influencing the ongoing conflict and regional dynamics. The international community is closely monitoring the situation as tensions remain high.