Egypt Daily News – Hamas has officially appointed Yahya Sinwar as the head of its political bureau following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
This decision came after a consultation process within the movement’s leadership, specifically involving its Central Shura Council, which consists of around 50 members responsible for electing the leader.
Sinwar, currently the leader of Hamas in Gaza, reportedly opposes the idea of Khaled Meshal, the former leader of Hamas, taking over the leadership.
Instead, he favors a successor with strong ties to Iran and Syria. The leadership position Sinwar assumes is expected to be temporary, pending future elections within Hamas.
Haniyeh had been leading the movement’s political bureau until his assassination, while his deputy, Saleh Al-Arouri, who was also killed earlier this year, had left the position vacant.
Despite these leadership changes, experts believe that Hamas’s operational strategies against Israel in the Gaza Strip will remain unchanged, as local leaders like Sinwar generally conduct operations with substantial autonomy.