On Tuesday, Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as the new political leader of the Gaza Strip, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in Tehran last week, escalating regional tensions.
A statement from the group declared "the selection of leader Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement." Shortly after the announcement, Hamas's armed wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, launched a barrage of rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel.
The Israeli military and officials accuse Sinwar of being one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack on Israel, making him one of the country's most wanted individuals. His appointment as the new Hamas chief comes less than a week after Haniyeh's death in Tehran. Both Iran and Hamas have accused Israel of orchestrating Haniyeh's assassination, though Israel has not commented on the incident.
The October 7 attack by Hamas led to the death of 1,198 people, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. During the attack, militants also captured 251 people, of whom 111 are still held captive in Gaza, including 39 whom the military claims are deceased.
Israel's retaliatory military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 39,653 people, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
