Hamas names Oct 7 mastermind Sinwar as political leader after Haniyeh assassination

Hamas Gaza Chief Yehya Al-Sinwar gestures during an anti-Israel rally in Gaza City, May 24, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/

CAIRO (Reuters): Hamas named its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar as successor to former political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last week, the group said on Tuesday (Aug 6), in a move that reinforces the radical path pursued since the Oct 7 attack on Israel.

Sinwar, the architect of the most devastating attack on Israel in decades, has been in hiding in Gaza, defying Israeli attempts to kill him since the start of the war.