Hamas Appoints Yahya Sinwar as New Political Head After Ismail Haniyeh's Assassination

Hamas announced on Tuesday that Yahya Sinwar will succeed Ismail Haniyeh as the group's new political head, following Haniyeh's assassination in an airstrike in Tehran last week. Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in a network of tunnels in Gaza, is accused by Israel of masterminding the October 7 attack on the country.

Sinwar's appointment was met with fierce criticism from Israeli officials, with Foreign Minister Israel Katz calling him an "arch-murderer" and vowing to bring about his "quick elimination." Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Avichay Adraee also blasted the decision, saying Sinwar's place is alongside other Hamas leaders responsible for the October 7 massacre.

Haniyeh was killed in an airstrike that hit his residence in Tehran, where he had attended the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Israel has been blamed for the strike, which also killed Haniyeh's bodyguard.

Sinwar, who was born in a Gaza refugee camp in the 1960s, joined Hamas in 1987 and gained a reputation for brutality. He was sentenced to life in prison in 1988 for planning to kill two Israeli soldiers and suspected Palestinian collaborators, but was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.

After his release, Sinwar rose through the ranks of Hamas and was elected leader in 2017. He has been in hiding since the October 7 attack, which killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostage, according to Israeli officials. Israel has since declared war in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 40,000 people, according to officials in the enclave.