Hamas Names Yahya Sinwar as New Political Chief

On Tuesday, Hamas named Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in Gaza, to head the political bureau after the Israeli killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Before he was killed last week, Haniyeh served as the highest-level Hamas official outside of Gaza and was the public face of the group as it was engaged in hostage deal negotiations with Israel, although Hamas officials said Sinwar was ultimately in charge of the talks.

Sinwar has been Hamas’s leader in Gaza since 2017, and Israel attempted to assassinate him when he was re-elected in 2021. Sinwar is believed to be hiding deep inside the expansive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip since he is the top target for the Israeli military.