Hamas Names Yahya Sinwar as New Overall Chief, Heightening Tensions in Middle East
In a move that has sparked heightened tensions in the Middle East, Hamas has named Yahya Sinwar as its new overall chief, replacing Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in Tehran last week. Sinwar, who has been serving as the group’s leader inside the Gaza strip since 2017, will now take on the role of leader of its political wing.
The announcement comes at a critical moment, as Iran and its allies threaten retaliation for the killing of Haniyeh, which they attribute to Israel. Israel has not commented on the situation.
Sinwar, who currently tops Israel’s most-wanted list, is believed to be hiding underground in Gaza. The 61-year-old has not been seen in public since the October 2023 attacks, which left over 1,200 people dead and 251 taken as hostages back into Gaza.
Details of how Sinwar’s leadership of the group’s political bureau will function have not yet been released by Hamas. Sinwar, who founded the Hamas security service known as Majd in the late 1980s, has a history of targeting alleged Palestinian collaborators with Israel.
Despite spending much of his life in Israeli jail, Sinwar was released in 2011 in exchange for an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas. He later returned to his position as a prominent leader in Hamas and was appointed head of the group’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip in 2017.
The US has included Sinwar on its blacklist of “international terrorists.” The situation remains fluid as the region braces for potential retaliation and further escalation of tensions.
