Hamas has chosen Yahya Sinwar, one of the architects of the deadly Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, to lead the militant group’s political wing, it announced on Tuesday, consolidating his power over Hamas as it continues to fight Israel in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza since 2017, has long been considered a planner of Hamas’s military strategy there.
Now, he will also replace Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s previous political leader and a key liaison in the indirect cease-fire talks with Israel.
Mr. Haniyeh, who had been living in Qatar, was killed in an explosion in Iran last week that has been widely attributed to Israel.
A hard-line figure born in Gaza, Mr. Sinwar, 61, is a prime target for Israeli forces and is widely believed to be hiding out in tunnels underneath the enclave to avoid Israeli attack.
Persons:
Yahya Sinwar, Israel, Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, Haniyeh, Fuad Shukr
Locations:
Israel, Gaza, Qatar, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen