Israel Vows To Eliminate New Hamas Chief Sinwar, Seen As Even Closer To Tehran

Israel has vowed to „eliminate” new Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who just yesterday was announced as the new political leader of Hamas, replacing the slain Ismail Haniyeh, killed in Tehran by an Israeli covert assassination operation on July 31st.

Among some alernative possible options for the top leadership spot were candidates deemed 'moderate’ by comparison, but Hamas’ choosing Sinwar is intended to send a firm message that the Gaza-based organization will „continue its path of resistance,” according to a statement.

Sinwar, who was Hamas military leader in Gaza since 2017, is considered the mastermind behind the Oct.7 terror attack on southern Israel. He is also seen as closer to Tehran compared to the late Haniyeh, who had lived in Qatar. Few outsiders have laid eyes on Sinwar in years, and it’s widely believed he’s been commanding operations from tunnels deep below Gaza throughout the war which is now in its 11th month.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said late Tuesday that Sinwar being named to the Hamas top leadership spot is „yet another compelling reason to swiftly eliminate him and wipe this vile organization off the face of the earth.”

A statement from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has already blamed Sinwar for lack of progress in Qatar-mediated ceasefire talks: 

American and Israeli officials have accused Hamas of intransigence over the deal, and they say Mr. Sinwar has always had the power to veto any proposal, given his leadership of the group in Gaza. Antony J. Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, said the announcement on Tuesday would reinforce that role.

The choice of Mr. Sinwar “only underscores the fact that it is really on him to decide whether to move forward with a cease-fire,” Mr. Blinken said at a news conference in Annapolis, Md., late Tuesday, shortly after the appointment was announced. “He has been and remains the primary decider when it comes to concluding a cease-fire.”

Sinwar had spent two decades in an Israeli prison – a long stint which began in 1988 for murdering four Palestinians on suspicion of collaborating with Israel.

He reportedly spent much of that time not only learning Hebrew, but closely studying Israeli culture and politics in order to 'understand the enemy’. The NY Times writes of his background: 

When he was released from Israeli prison in a prisoner swap in 2011, Mr. Sinwar said that the capture of Israeli soldiers was, after years of failed negotiations, the proven tactic for freeing Palestinians incarcerated by Israel.

„For the prisoner, capturing an Israeli soldier is the best news in the universe, because he knows that a glimmer of hope has been opened for him,” Mr. Sinwar said at the time.

Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar In His Own Words 2018-2022 #Hamas #Sinwar pic.twitter.com/X6cxtt4x0l

— MEMRI (@MEMRIReports) August 7, 2024

During his time in prison, Sinwar tried to escape several times, and once told an Italian newspaper that „Prison builds you” as it allows a person to understand the level of sacrifice needed to achieve their goals.