Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar as its political leader to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a suspected Israeli strike in Tehran last week. The announcement by the Palestinian group was made on Tuesday (August 6, 2024).

Sinwar, considered one of the masterminds behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, will now attempt to guide the movement through uncertain times from an undisclosed location in Gaza.

Key Points: 

• Hamas has named Yahya Sinwar as its new political leader, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an alleged Israeli strike in Tehran last week. The Palestinian group made this announcement
• He spent 23 years in Israeli prisons, during which he learned Hebrew and gained deep knowledge of Israeli affairs and domestic politics. He was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange that freed the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas

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The Gaza-based Palestinian leader is Israel's public enemy number one. By selecting him as the head of its political bureau, Hamas is sending a message of defiance to the Israeli government.

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However, it remains unclear how Sinwar will communicate with other Hamas members, manage the group’s daily political operations, and oversee Gaza ceasefire negotiations while in hiding.

Courtesy Photo Source: Mohammed Salem

Sinwar’s Profile

Born in 1962 in Khan Younis, Sinwar is often described as one of Hamas' most hardline senior officials. He was repeatedly arrested by Israel in the early 1980s for his involvement in anti-occupation activism at the Islamic University of Gaza.

After graduating, he helped establish a network of fighters to carry out armed resistance against Israel. This group later became the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing.

Sinwar joined Hamas as one of its leaders soon after the group was founded by Sheikh Ahmad Yasin in 1987.

The following year, he was arrested by Israeli forces and sentenced to four life terms, equivalent to 426 years in prison, for his involvement in the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers and four suspected Palestinian collaborators.

He spent 23 years in Israeli prisons, where he learned Hebrew and became an expert on Israeli affairs and domestic politics. He was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal that freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas.

After his release, Sinwar quickly rose through Hamas' ranks again. In 2012, he was elected to the group’s political bureau and tasked with coordinating with the Qassam Brigades.

He played a prominent political and military role during Israel’s seven-week assault on Gaza in 2014. The following year, the United States designated Sinwar as a "specially designated global terrorist."

In 2017, Sinwar became the head of Hamas in Gaza, succeeding Haniyeh, who was elected as the head of the group’s political bureau.

Unlike Haniyeh, who traveled to various regions and delivered speeches during the ongoing war in Gaza until his assassination, Sinwar has remained silent since October 7.

However, in a 2021 interview with Vice News, Sinwar stated that although Palestinians do not want war due to its high cost, they will not "raise the white flag."

"For a long time, we tried peaceful and popular resistance. We hoped that the world, free people, and international organizations would support our people and stop the occupation from committing crimes and massacres against our people. Unfortunately, the world just stood by and watched," he said.

Sinwar was likely referring to the Great March of Return, during which Palestinians held weekly protests for months at the Gaza border in 2018 and 2019, but faced a harsh Israeli crackdown that killed more than 220 people and injured many more.

When asked about Hamas’ tactics, including the indiscriminate firing of rockets that could endanger civilians, Sinwar said Palestinians are fighting with the means available to them. He accused Israel of deliberately killing Palestinian civilians en masse, despite having advanced and precise weaponry.

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