Hamas leadership unanimously selected Sinwar to guide the movement, a senior official informed the BBC. This decision comes amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, as Iran and its allies vow revenge for Haniyeh's killing, which they attribute to Israel. Israel has not commented on the matter.
The decision emerged after two days of extensive discussions in Doha, where Hamas leaders debated potential candidates for the group’s new chief. Although several scenarios were considered, only two candidates were ultimately presented: Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Hassan Darwish, who leads Hamas's General Shura Council. The council unanimously voted for Sinwar, which one Hamas official described as "a message of defiance to Israel."
"They killed Haniyeh, who was more open to solutions. Now, they will have to face Sinwar and the military leadership," the official told the BBC.
Before his death, Ismail Haniyeh was seen as a pragmatic figure within Hamas, actively involved in the group's political outreach. In contrast, Yahya Sinwar is regarded as one of Hamas' most hardline leaders. He is at the top of Israel's most-wanted list, believed to have orchestrated the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that killed over 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken to Gaza.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz described Sinwar's appointment as further justification for eliminating him and destroying Hamas. Similarly, Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Rear Adm Daniel Hagari labeled Sinwar a terrorist responsible for one of the most brutal attacks in history. Since the October attacks, Sinwar has not been seen in public and is believed to be hiding deep underground in Gaza, according to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza, Sinwar founded Hamas' security service, Majd, in the late 1980s, targeting alleged Palestinian collaborators with Israel. He has spent much of his life in Israeli prisons, and after his third arrest in 1988, he was sentenced to four life terms. However, he was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal with Israel for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held captive by Hamas for over five years.
Sinwar, now 61, has been on the U.S. blacklist of "international terrorists" and was appointed head of Hamas's political bureau in Gaza in 2017, a role he held until his recent promotion.
