The Mastermind of October 7 Attacks is the New Hamas Chief

On Tuesday, Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar who’s the top official in Gaza was appointed as the new leader of the group after predecessor Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an attack last week in Tehran which had caused tensions. He was named after two-day lengthy negotiations in Doha.

Barrage of Rockets fired:

Just as the decision was disclosed, the Ezzedine-Al Qasam Brigade claimed that they fired a series of rockets towards Israel.

Israel’s reaction to the appointment:

Israel’s military group known as IDF (Israel Defense Forces) has reacted to the development and said that he will meet the same fate as other terrorists.

While reacting to the development, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari said that there is one place for him which is beside Mohammed Deif and the rest terrorists responsible for attacks. He said that this is what they are preparing for him.

The Process of Appointment:

After the killing of Ismail Haniyeh who was the predecessor of Hamas group, there were discussions which presided in Doha to decide the name of the new head of the group. There were many deliberations made upon but with only two names being put forward which was Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Hassan Darwish who is heading the General Shua Council, which is known for electing the governing body of Hamas.

Who is Yahya Sinwar:

Yahya Sinwar is considered to be one of the most prominent figures within Hamas. He was arrested in 1988 was convicted and sentenced to four life sentences due to his connection of killing two Israeli security personnel and four people who were suspected to be Palestinian informants. He was in Israeli prison for the period of 23 years where he learnt the Hebrew language and had become well versed with the politics of Israel.

In 2011, he was released from the prison due to the prisoner exchange deal which had freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. After his release, he had quickly risen among the ranks of Hamas. He was elected to the political bureau and also worked closely with the Qassam Brigade. He also played a crucial role during Israel’s week-long attack against Gaza in the year 2014. The United States had designated Sinwar as a special global terrorist.

In 2017, he was appointed as the leader of Hamas in Gaza as he succeeded Haniyeh who had become the political head of the group. Yahya Sinwar has been silent since the October 7^th attacks unlike his predecessor Haniyeh who had public appearances. The appointment of Sinwar comes as he’s considered to be the person for his proximity to Iran and known for working for years and shows that the Hamas is prepared to fight with Israel.

Who was Ismail Haniyeh:

Ismail Haniyeh was one of the prominent leaders in Hamas. He became the Prime Minister of Palestinian Authority government for a short period of time. He was also designated as a global terrorist by the United States. After the attack on 7^th October, he was a key figure in negotiation over the conflict which included the release of Hostage.

Haniyeh was killed by a strike which happened after attending the oath-taking ceremony of New Iranian President. While Hamas blames Israel for death, the latter has denied or taken responsibility

Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023 which resulted in 1,198 deaths. They also held 251 people, out of which 111 are still with them. Israel has also carried out retaliatory attacks which have also resulted in losses.