Gaza [Palestine], August 8: The statement by Hamas and Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz came at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East, as Iran and its allies threatened to retaliate against Israel after the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, on July 31.
Tense meeting in Doha
Yesterday, the BBC quoted a senior Hamas official as saying that the movement had just gone through two days of tense and lengthy meetings in Doha (Qatar) to choose a new political leader. Many scenarios were discussed, but in the end only two names were nominated: Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader in Gaza since 2017, and Mohammed Hassan Darwish, head of the Shura Council (which is the body that elects Hamas's politburo).
The Shura Council eventually voted unanimously to elect Mr Sinwar, in what a Hamas official said was a "message of defiance to Israel". "They (Israel) murdered Haniyeh, a flexible and open-minded figure. Now they have to face Mr Sinwar and the Hamas military leadership , " the official said, according to the BBC. Lebanon's Hezbollah movement congratulated Mr Sinwar, calling it a message that "the enemy has failed to achieve its goal" by killing Hamas leaders and senior figures.
Haniyeh has long been seen by regional diplomats as a key figure in pushing the movement's more open approach. Sinwar, on the other hand, is considered one of Hamas's most radical figures. Before being chosen as its political successor, Sinwar was on Israel's wanted list. Israeli security agencies believe he masterminded the October 7, 2023, attack on Israeli territory that left more than 1,200 people dead and 251 hostages in Gaza.
"The appointment of senior terrorist Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of Hamas, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, is once again a compelling reason to quickly eliminate him and wipe this organization off the face of the earth," Foreign Minister Katz said on X (formerly Twitter name). Meanwhile, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari declared on Al-Arabiya news channel that Sinwar is "a terrorist, the person responsible for the most catastrophic terrorist attack in history".
Risks to Gaza negotiations
Sinwar has not been seen in public since the attack on Israel last October and is believed to be hiding in a 10-story underground structure in Gaza, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, citing intelligence reports from June. Javed Ali, a former US National Security Council official, said Sinwar's appointment could further complicate ceasefire and hostage-exchange negotiations. Observers say the new Hamas leader is less flexible and more difficult to negotiate with than his predecessor.
"With the election of Mr. Sinwar as leader of Hamas, the movement ends the distinction between its internal and external leaders, as well as any illusions about the moderate side of the organization to reveal its true face," The Guardian quoted analyst Aaron David Miller of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (headquartered in Washington DC, USA).
Reuters quoted US Secretary of State Antony Blinken as saying that whether or not to reach a ceasefire in Gaza depends on the new political leader of Hamas. "We are pursuing an intense diplomatic effort, almost around the clock, with a very simple message: all sides must refrain from escalation," Mr. Blinken said after a meeting at the White House on August 6.
In another development, the Israeli military ordered an evacuation of an area in northern Gaza in retaliation for a rocket fired from Hamas from the direction of Beit Hanoun into Israeli territory. Earlier, central and southern Gaza were also hit by Israeli attacks.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
