New Delhi: Hamas has selected its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar as the next chief of the Palestinian terror group following Ismail Haniyeh’s assassination in Tehran on July 31. The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh escalated tensions between Israel and Iran amid was in Gaza.
Who is Yahya Sinwar?
Yahya Sinwar has been a top Gaza leader who was responsible for October 7 attack in Israel, a watershed moment after which Jerusalem launched its offensive against Hamas.
Sinwar has been in hiding ever since October 7 when Hamas launched an unprovoked surprise attack on Israel. It was after this when Jerusalem decided to completely wipe out Palestinian terror outfit.
The October 7 attack resulted in the killings of at least 1,200 Israelis while over 250 were taken hostages, triggering Israel’s now 10-month-old campaign in Gaza.
Why Sinwar has been selected as Hamas chief?
The choice of Sinwar, a secretive figure who leads Hamas’ hardliners and is close to Iran, was a defiant step. Sinwar is at the top of Israel’s kill list as it seeks to destroy Hamas and its leadership after the October 7 attack in which militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took about 250 as hostages.
Unlike Haniyeh, who had lived in exile in Qatar for years, Sinwar has remained in Gaza. As Hamas’ leader in the territory since 2017, he rarely appeared in public but kept an iron grip on Hamas’ rule. Close to Deif and the armed wing, known as the Qassam Brigades, he worked to build up the group’s military capabilities.
What Yahya Sinwar’s appointment means for Middle-East?
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 attack who is becoming Hamas’ new political leader, has the power to ensure that a cease-fire deal is reached.
However, after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh which has increased tensions between Israel and Iran, it is unlikely that Yahya Sinwar was surrender to US dictat.
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