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Palestinian militant group, Hamas, has named Yahya Sinwar as the successor to its political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran a week ago.
Sinwar is seen by Israel as the mastermind behind the 7 October attack which more than a thousand Israelis were killed and over 200 others taken hostage.
The 61-year-old hardliner has been in hiding in Gaza since then, defying Israeli attempts to kill him.
The news of his appointment comes amid heightened tension in the region as Israel braces for a likely attack from Iran following the killing of Haniyeh.
It has not confirmed nor denied involvement in his death, but had pledged to kill him and other Hamas leaders.
Last week, Israel confirmed the death of the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, in a July airstrike in Gaza. Hamas has not confirmed his death.
Haniyeh’s death makes Sinwar, who spent half his adult life in Israeli prisons, as the most powerful Hamas leader left alive.
On Israeli army spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, described said Sinwar as an “arch terrorist” and said Israel would continue to pursue him.
“There is only one place for Yahya Sinwar, it’s next to Mohammed Deif, next to a Ghandour, next to Ayman Nofal (Hamas commanders Israel claimed it has killed), next to all the terrorists that were responsible for the 7 October,” he said.
By choosing Sinwar as its new political leader, Hamas is sending a strong message of defiance to the Israeli government.
It also signals that the leadership on the ground in Gaza has taken over from the leadership in exile, which has traditionally navigated relations with foreign allies and diplomacy.
The death toll among Palestinians is now nearing 40,000, most of the population of Gaza has been driven from their homes, and large swathes of the enclave have been destroyed.
africanews