Jihia Sinwar becomes the new Hamas leader
Hamas Appoints Yahya Sinwar as New Leader. He Masterminded the October 7 Terror Attack in Southern Israel, Which Sparked the Gaza War. Sinwar Succeeds the Late Chief Haniyeh.
Radical Islamic Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar, the former head of its military wing, as its new political leader. The terror group announced this on Telegram, stating that Sinwar will lead its political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an attack in Tehran last week. Iran and Hamas have blamed Israel for Haniyeh's death and have threatened harsh retaliation. Israel has maintained silence on the matter.
Sinwar was the mastermind behind the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people in southern Israel. He is at the top of Israel's most wanted list and is believed to be hiding in an unknown location in the Gaza Strip. Since the bloody attack, Sinwar has not made any public appearances. It is suspected that he is hiding in the tunnels of the organization under the coastal region. His predecessor, Haniyeh, resided in Qatar's capital, Doha, and was considered the chief diplomat of Hamas.
Sinwar is the last surviving senior leader of Hamas. His former deputy, Mohammed Deif, commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, and thus the military wing of Hamas, was the target of an Israeli airstrike in July. Israel had declared him dead last week. Haniyeh, on the other hand, was killed in an assassination attempt in the Iranian capital, Tehran, last week.
"The Butcher of Khan Yunis"
Sinwar belongs to the founding generation of Hamas. He was born in 1962 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. His family originates from the coastal city of Ashkelon, which is now on Israeli territory. He spent more than two decades in Israeli prisons, where he learned fluent Hebrew. He was one of 1,027 Palestinians released from Palestinian prisons in 2011 in exchange for a single Israeli soldier held in the Gaza Strip.
When Hamas was formed during the first Palestinian Intifada in the late 1980s to fight against Israeli occupation, Sinwar was also involved in the establishment of the military arm of Hamas, the Qassam Brigades. In the early years of the Islamic movement, Sinwar was responsible for fighting alleged collaborators with Israel within its ranks. His brutal methods earned him the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Yunis."
The European Union, expressing concern over the situation in Gaza, has urged both Israel and Hamas to exercise restraint and promote peace initiatives. Following Haniyeh's death, the European Union has called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his demise. The European Union maintains close relations with both Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and it is hoped that these relationships can be used to encourage a peaceful resolution to the ongoing conflict.
