Behind Sinwar’s Selection: Internal, Regional, and Israeli Factors

Yahya Sinwar participating in a previous march in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Gaza City (AFP)
Yahya Sinwar participating in a previous march in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Gaza City (AFP)
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Behind Sinwar’s Selection: Internal, Regional, and Israeli Factors

Yahya Sinwar participating in a previous march in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Gaza City (AFP)
Yahya Sinwar participating in a previous march in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Gaza City (AFP)

Sources familiar with the internal discussions that led to the selection of Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of Hamas in Gaza revealed several key factors behind his appointment.
Sinwar succeeded Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel in Tehran. Sinwar’s own ambitions, Khaled Meshaal's decision to step aside, and strategic considerations involving Israel and regional dynamics were all influential in this decision.
Hamas unanimously chose Sinwar in a decisive meeting on Tuesday after two days of discussions.
Sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that most Hamas leaders abroad, including those from Gaza, the West Bank, and members of the political bureau and Shura Council based in Lebanon, Türkiye, and Qatar, participated in these crucial meetings and supported Sinwar’s appointment.
Initially, Sinwar’s name was not proposed right after Haniyeh’s assassination. The focus was on appointing Khaled Meshaal as a temporary leader until the Gaza conflict ended.
However, Meshaal declined due to health issues and unspecified pressures related to various foreign relations. Some noted that Meshaal was seen as more aligned with the Muslim Brotherhood than with Iran.
Sources revealed that Hamas aimed to send several clear messages with Sinwar’s appointment.
The main message was defiance towards Israel, showing unity within Hamas and dismissing any internal conflicts, including the October 7 attack, which Sinwar and Qassam Brigades leader Mohammed Deif masterminded.
This move also signals a return of leadership to the battlefield and reaffirms Hamas’ role in the Iran-led “axis of resistance.”
Sources, who requested anonymity, stated that Sinwar’s selection was primarily a response to the assassination of Haniyeh.
“The key message to Netanyahu and Israel is that by killing Haniyeh, a negotiator willing to make concessions to stop the war, you now face Sinwar, your primary enemy and a war instigator. If Israel’s government wants to continue the conflict, this is our reply,” explained the sources.
Additionally, the sources mentioned that truce negotiations are now in Sinwar’s hands, meaning Israel must negotiate with him. They also confirmed that with Sinwar’s appointment, the decision was made to resume ceasefire talks in Gaza, with Sinwar personally overseeing them.
Other factors behind Sinwar’s selection involve Hamas’s external situation and its relationships with various countries.
“One reason was to ease the immense pressure on the external leadership from mediators and host countries to expel Hamas leaders. Shifting decision-making to Gaza reduces these pressures,” a source, who asked to remain anonymous, told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“It’s easier to assassinate someone abroad, so choosing a leader from Gaza is the best option to handle the movement’s external challenges. It’s unclear if Sinwar’s appointment will succeed, as some countries welcomed it while others remained silent,” the source explained.
Meanwhile, Israel has vowed to kill Sinwar, using his appointment to justify military control over Gaza and the West Bank.

 



Israel's Mission Against Hamas 'Not Accomplished', Says New Military Chief 

Then head of the southern command, Israeli army major general Eyal Zamir, is pictured near the Israel-Gaza border in the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz on April 20, 2018. (AFP)
Then head of the southern command, Israeli army major general Eyal Zamir, is pictured near the Israel-Gaza border in the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz on April 20, 2018. (AFP)
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Israel's Mission Against Hamas 'Not Accomplished', Says New Military Chief 

Then head of the southern command, Israeli army major general Eyal Zamir, is pictured near the Israel-Gaza border in the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz on April 20, 2018. (AFP)
Then head of the southern command, Israeli army major general Eyal Zamir, is pictured near the Israel-Gaza border in the southern kibbutz of Nahal Oz on April 20, 2018. (AFP)

New armed forces chief Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir said during his inauguration in Tel Aviv on Wednesday that Israel's mission to defeat Palestinian group Hamas was "not accomplished".  

"I accept command of the (Israeli military) with modesty and humility... Hamas has indeed suffered a severe blow, but it has not yet been defeated. The mission is not yet accomplished," Zamir said, amid deadlock in negotiations on next steps in a ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Zamir that Israel is "determined" to achieve victory in the multi-front war that began with Hamas's October 2023 attack.  

"A very heavy responsibility rests on your shoulders, the results of the war will have significance for generations, we are determined to achieve... victory" Netanyahu told Zamir during his inauguration. 

Former tank commander and director of the defense ministry Zamir replaces outgoing chief of staff Lieutenant General Herzi Halev, who resigned admitting he failed to fulfil his mandate.  

Zamir, 59, is being sworn in at a sensitive time in Israel's war with Hamas, with the ceasefire that took effect on January 19 hanging in the balance.  

Announcing his appointment last month, Netanyahu said he had high hopes that Zamir would help achieve Israel's goal of "absolute victory" against Hamas. 

Zamir will also take over operations in the occupied West Bank, where the military has deployed tanks in recent weeks for the first time in 20 years.  

His appointment also comes at a moment of high tension for Israel with its arch-foe Iran.  

Zamir wrote in a 2022 policy paper for the Washington Institute for Near East Policy that Israel needed to adopt a tougher approach in order to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons. 

Pushing for greater cooperation with the United States against what he called the "Iran axis", Zamir advocated "offensive action" in order to guarantee success.  

His position on Iran mirrors that of Netanyahu, who recently said that Israel plans to "finish the job against Iran's terror axis".  

Zamir, who led key operations during the second Palestinian intifada or uprising, served as Netanyahu's military secretary from 2012 to 2015.  

He is the founder of the right-wing think tank Israel Defense and Security Forum.  

In contrast to Halevi, who avoided the spotlight, Zamir comes across as a powerful figure.  

At a defense ministry event a day after his appointment, Zamir, a father of three, was quoted as saying that 2025 would be "a year of continued fighting". 

"The war has demonstrated that we must be self-reliant," he said.  

As head of the defense ministry, Zamir is credited with some of Israel's biggest and most significant defense procurements.  

"He understands very well what big wars are all about and how to fight them," said Amir Avivi, a former Israeli general who now runs a network for former security officials.  

Zamir cuts a powerful frame, his burly build sending a clear message that he means business.  

Avivi, who has known Zamir for more than 20 years and spent a year with him at the Israeli College for National Security, described him as being "mission-oriented", "detail-oriented" and "strict". 

He said Zamir has a "deep understanding" of the Gaza front and even authored "a very detailed plan to conquer all of Gaza" while serving as head of Southern Command from 2015 to 2018.  

Saying he had spoken with Zamir since his appointment, Avivi added: "I think he has a very clear understanding that he was chosen for one thing -- to bring total victory to Israel on all fronts."  

Jonathan Conricus, a former Israeli army spokesman who served with Zamir, also said the incoming chief would have to "navigate strategic challenges of the most sensitive nature", including restoring public trust.  

Born in Israel's southernmost city Eilat, Zamir, whose paternal grandfather immigrated from Yemen and whose mother's family arrived from Syria, joined the military in 1984.  

Unlike previous chiefs of staff, who served in the distinguished paratroopers' unit or in the Golani infantry brigade, Zamir began his career in the Armored Corps.  

He served through the first and second intifadas holding senior combat and command roles. 

In 2002, he led a brigade that captured the refugee camp adjacent to the West Bank city of Jenin, a hotbed of Palestinian militancy.  

The army laid siege to the camp for more than a month amid fierce fighting that saw hundreds of homes levelled, and 52 Palestinians and 23 Israeli soldiers killed.  

Zamir was later appointed head of the army's southern command, where he led efforts to cut off Hamas tunnels.  

From 2018 to 2021, he served as deputy chief of staff under Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi, tasked with implementing the military's multi-year plan.