Hamas announces new political bureau leader

Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new political leader following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in an Israeli attack in Tehran.

The announcement was made on August 6, with Sinwar, previously a Gaza-based commander, taking over as head of Hamas' political bureau, Caliber.Az reports citing the Iranian media.

Haniyeh was killed on July 31 in an attack on his residence in Tehran, where he had attended the inauguration of Iran’s newly-elected president, Masoud Pezeshkian. This marks the second high-profile Hamas leader targeted by Israel since the Al-Aqsa Storm operation began on October 7, 2023; Salah al-Arouri was assassinated in southern Beirut on January 2.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has declared three days of national mourning for Ismail Haniyeh and pledged a severe response against Israel.

Yahya Sinwar, a senior Hamas military commander, has been appointed as the new leader of Hamas, succeeding Haniyeh, who was killed in an Israeli attack in Tehran. Sinwar, who became the leader of Hamas in Gaza in February 2017, played a pivotal role in the Al-Aqsa Storm operation, launched in retaliation for Israel's prolonged campaign against Palestinians.

Sinwar, 61, is one of the top Hamas targets sought by Israel, with a $400,000 bounty on his head following the October 7 operation. Osama Hamdan, a senior Hamas official, confirmed that Sinwar's election was a unanimous decision by the movement’s leadership. Hamdan noted that Sinwar’s appointment reflects Hamas’s evolving strategy and that he will now lead the team negotiating a potential ceasefire in Gaza, a role previously held by Haniyeh.