Hamas names Sinwar as Haniyeh’s successor as new chief

On Monday, August 5, 2024, days after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in a suspected Israeli attack in Tehran, Hamas announced that it had appointed Yahya Sinwar as the new political chief. This significant development came as tensions in the Middle East escalated. In the wake of Haniyeh’s death, Gaza names Sinwar as the successor, positioning him at the forefront of the movement during these tumultuous times.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of Commander Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement, succeeding the martyr Commander Ismail Haniyeh,” the Palestinian terror group was quoted as saying in a statement by news agency Reuters.

The Palestinian group made their declaration on Tuesday, just as Middle East tensions were reaching new heights as Iran vowed to exact retribution on Israel over Haniyeh’s death on its territory. Regarded as the mastermind of the October 7 assault on Israel, Sinwar will now attempt, from a place in Gaza that is unknown, to lead the movement through these uncertain times throughout the region.

Israel’s worst public enemy is the Palestinian leader who lives in Gaza. Thus, Hamas is defying the Israeli government by appointing him as the head of its political department. However, it is still unknown how Sinwar will be able to coordinate with other Hamas agents, manage the movement’s daily political activities, and supervise the discussions for a Gaza truce while in hiding.

Since the start of the conflict with Israel in October of last year, Sinwar has stayed hidden in Gaza. After Haniyeh’s death, Sinwar—who has spent half of his life in Israeli prisons—became the most powerful Hamas commander still living.

Yahya Sinwar, 61, was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza. In 2017, he was chosen to command Hamas in Gaza after developing a reputation as an uncompromising adversary of Israel and a merciless enforcer. Sinwar oversaw the Al-Majd security apparatus prior to his detention, which includes punishing and killing Palestinians who were thought to be working with Israel’s intelligence services.

Challenges and Expectations for Hamas’s New Leader

According to Israel’s intelligence services, Sinwar oversaw the organization and carrying out of the October 7, 2023, attacks, which resulted in over 1,200 fatalities and the return of 251 hostages to Gaza. He is currently the most sought after person in Israel.

Following Ismail Haniyeh’s murder at his Tehran home, Sinwar was named Hamas’ leader. Haniyeh was in Tehran’s capital for President Masoud Pezeshkian’s inauguration. The Hamas organization claimed in a statement that Haniyeh perished in “a treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran”.

In a 2021 interview with Vice News, Sinwar said that while Palestinians do not seek war due to its high cost, they will not “wave the white flag”.

“For long periods, we tried peaceful and popular resistance. We expected that the world, free people and international organisations would stand by our people and stop occupation from committing crimes and massacring our people. Unfortunately, the world stood by and watched,” he said.

Most likely, Sinwar was speaking of the Great March of Return, a series of weekly protests by Palestinians at the Gaza border for months in 2018 and 2019, which resulted in a harsh Israeli crackdown that left over 220 people dead and numerous others injured. When questioned about Hamas’ strategies, which include launching indiscriminate rockets that may endanger civilians, Sinwar responded that the Palestinians are waging war with whatever weapons they have. He charged Israel with purposely murdering large numbers of Palestinian civilians in spite of possessing sophisticated, accurate weaponry.

“Does the world expect us to be well-behaved victims while we are being killed, for us to be slaughtered without making a noise?” Sinwar had said.

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