Yahya Sinwar’s appointment follows the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh
Hamas has named Yahya Sinwar as the brand new chief of its political wing, changing Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran final week. The appointment was introduced in a quick assertion by the Palestinian militant group on Tuesday.
Sinwar has served because the group’s chief inside Gaza since 2017. Israel believes him to be the architect of the October 7, 2023 incursion into southern Israel, by which Hamas killed some 1,200 individuals and took over 250 hostage. The assault sparked the present conflict in Gaza, which has up to now killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, in keeping with the Hamas-run Well being Ministry.
Israeli officers consider that Sinwar has been hiding in Hamas’s community of tunnels beneath Gaza because the bloodbath that he allegedly orchestrated 10 months in the past.
Instantly after the Hamas assertion, International Minister Israel Katz referred to as for Sinwar to be killed.
“The appointment of arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar as the brand new chief of Hamas, changing Ismail Haniyeh, is yet one more compelling motive to swiftly get rid of him and wipe this vile group off the face of the earth,” Katz wrote on X (previously Twitter) on Tuesday.
The announcement comes at a time of heightened tensions, as Iran and its allies threaten retaliation for the killing of Haniyeh, which they blame on Israel. The Jewish state has neither confirmed nor denied involvement.
The escalation has prompted the US to deploy further forces to defend Israel, in case of an assault.
Earlier this yr, Iran launched a large-scale missile and drone barrage in opposition to Israel, in retaliation for the bombing of an Iranian consulate in Syria. The bombardment was repelled with important assist from the US, UK and different allied forces within the area.
You possibly can share this story on social media:
