HAMAS HAS ANNOUNCED that Yahya Sinwar has taken over as the organisation’s political chief, replacing Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in a strike in Tehran last month.

“The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of leader Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement,” a statement from the group said.

A statement from the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said they had fired a barage of rockets at Israel to conincide with the announcement.

The announcement comes in the wake of the assassination Hamas’ long-term political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, who held the position of chief of the organisation’s Political Bureau since 2017.

Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but Hamas, Iran, and their allies in Lebanon, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq have all blamed Israel and vowed retaliation.

A senior Hamas official said that by choosing Sinwar, the group is sending “a strong message to the occupation that Hamas continues its path of resistance.

“The assassination of Haniyeh, who believed in reaching a ceasefire agreement and a prisoner exchange deal, leads Hamas to choose a leader who manages the battle and resistance against the enemy,” he said.

Israel accuses Sinwar of being one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack last year.

In a statement following the announcement, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz called for Sinwar to be “swiftly eliminated”.

“The appointment of arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of Hamas, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, is yet another compelling reason to swiftly eliminate him and wipe this vile organisation off the face of the Earth,” he said.

With reporting from © AFP 2024.