Sinwar, the mastermind of the devastating October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the ensuing war in Gaza, remains holed up in this tiny, cramped territory, despite Israeli assassination attempts soon after the war began.

"The Hamas Islamic Resistance Movement announces the election of Commander Yahya Sinwar as the head of the movement's political body, succeeding the martyred Commander Ismail Haniyeh, may Allah have mercy on him," the movement said in a short statement.

News of the appointment was greeted by a barrage of rockets fired from Gaza by militant groups still battling Israeli troops in the besieged enclave. It came as Israel braced for a possible Iranian attack following Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran.

“This appointment means that Israel needs to confront Sinwar about a solution to the war in Gaza,” said a regional diplomat. “It is a message of toughness and uncompromising.”

Sinwar, who spent half his adult life in Israeli prisons, is the most powerful Hamas leader alive after Haniyeh's assassination, which pushed the region to the brink of wider conflict after Iran vowed to retaliate.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, AJ)