Hamas appoints Yahya Al-Senwar as new political chief

Palestinian group Hamas announced on Tuesday the selection of Yahya Al-Senwar as head of its political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran last week.

In a statement, the group said, "Hamas announces the selection of leader Yehya Al-Senwar as the head of the movement's political bureau, succeeding the martyr leader Ismail Haniyeh, may he rest in peace."

A regional diplomat familiar with the mediation talks led by Egypt and Qatar, aimed at halting the fighting in Gaza and securing the release of 115 Israeli and foreign hostages still held in the strip, said that the selection "means that Israel will have to confront Al-Senwar in finding a solution to the Gaza war."

Al-Senwar, who is 61 years old, is considered the de facto leader of the movement and is a primary target for Israel, which has set a $400,000 reward for his elimination, according to American network ABC News.

Who is Yehya Al-Senwar?

• Al-Senwar helped establish Hamas in the late 1980s.
• In 1989, an Israeli court sentenced him to four life terms for his role in the killing of two Israeli soldiers.
• He spent almost 23 years in prison and was one of over 1,000 Palestinian detainees released in 2011 in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held hostage by Hamas for five years.

In an interview with ABC News in November 2023, Michael Kobi, a former officer in the Israeli internal security agency, said he interrogated Al-Senwar for over 150 hours. Kobi described Al-Senwar as “strong, emotionless but not psychopathic.”

In 2017, six years after his release from Israeli prison, Al-Senwar was elected head of Hamas’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip. He was re-elected in 2021.

Israeli response

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz responded to Al-Senwar’s appointment, saying that this is “another compelling reason to swiftly eliminate him.” Additionally, the IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari hinted at targeting Al-Senwar.

He told Al-Arabiya news channel:

"There is only one place for Al-Senwar, and that is alongside Mohammed Deif. That is the only place we are preparing and designing for him."

Al-Senwar is considered one of Israel’s top targets due to his alleged responsibility for the October 7 attack.