Yahya Sinwar has been announced as the new leader of Hamas, according to a statement from the group.
“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of leader Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement,” said the statement from Hamas, as reported by AFP.
Sinwar replaces Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last week. Since 2017, Sinwar has led Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Alongside Mohammed Deif, the military chief of Hamas, Sinwar is credited with orchestrating the October 7 attack on Israel, which led to the current conflict in Gaza. Deif was killed by Israel last month.
As the main planner of the October 7 attack, Sinwar is known for his hardline stance. His new position could complicate ceasefire negotiations and the release of hostages, which have already stalled due to changes in terms by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Khaled Mashal, who led Hamas from 1996 to 2017, was previously considered a frontrunner to replace Haniyeh.
Sinwar, known for his brutal tactics, assumes control of Hamas amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
Iran has promised revenge for Haniyeh’s assassination, which followed the killing of Hezbollah’s military chief Faud Shukr, and an attack on Israel is expected. This escalation could lead to widespread conflict in the region.
Sinwar has long fueled violence in Israel and Gaza, leveraging Palestinian casualties to intensify the conflict with Israel. According to The Wall Street Journal, he is using the high death toll and ongoing suffering of Palestinians to isolate Israel on the international stage, which is already facing criticism over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
Who is Yahya Sinwar?
Born in 1962 in Khan Younis, Gaza, Sinwar has been involved with Hamas since its early days. In the 1980s, he joined the Palestinian Islamist movement and helped organize Al-Majd.
When Hamas was founded in 1987, Al-Majd became its security wing. Sinwar was detained by Israel in 1988, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was released in a 2011 prisoner swap when Hamas exchanged hundreds of Palestinian prisoners for a captured Israeli soldier.
After his release, Sinwar resumed his role in Hamas and in 2017, became the chief of its political bureau in Gaza.
Jewish Doctor Saved Sinwar’s Life
Sinwar’s life was once saved by Dr. Yuval Bitton, a Jewish Israeli doctor who worked at the prison where Sinwar was held. Bitton suspected Sinwar had a stroke or an abscess, and Sinwar was rushed to a hospital where a brain tumor was successfully removed.
Bitton and Sinwar developed a relationship, discussing Hamas over tea. Sinwar revealed that Hamas’ conflict was religious rather than political, stating, “Hamas sees the land we live on as the holy land, like, ‘This is ours, you don’t have a right to live in this land,’.”
During the October 7 attack last year, Sinwar masterminded the assault on Bitton’s nephew’s house, leading to his abduction. Bitton’s nephew is now one of the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, according to The New York Times.
