The Hamas movement’s announcement that it had chosen Yehya Sinwar as head of its political bureau came as a surprise to many observers, including Palestinians, especially in the Gaza Strip.
This announcement raises many questions about the implications of choosing Sinwar, given the possibility that he might face a fate similar to his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated last week in Tehran.
For Gazans who are eager to end the war, the more pressing concern is whether Sinwar’s leadership will bring them closer to peace or push them further away from it.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, political analyst Mustafa Ibrahim said that choosing Sinwar to succeed Haniyeh sends a message of defiance to all parties. It also signifies that all Hamas leaders support the Oct. 7 attack and that, as a movement, Hamas is committed to continuing the resistance and will not back down from its positions.
Ibrahim does not believe that Sinwar will retreat from the flexibility the movement recently demonstrated during the ceasefire negotiations.
“He was at the heart of the talks and was not distant or uninvolved, as some Israeli reports suggested,” the political analyst stated.
Diaa Hassan, specialist in Palestinian affairs, agreed with Ibrahim. He told Asharq Al-Awsat that, contrary to the prevailing belief that Sinwar is an obstacle to any agreement, in many stages he “showed greater flexibility than other leaders within the movement towards reaching a deal.”
Meanwhile, the people of Gaza, who are suffering under a brutal war, have expressed fear over the decision to choose Sinwar.
Ahmed Abu Zekri, a resident of the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood north of Gaza City, said: “I don’t know if this helps us, and I don’t care what anyone says. I will only welcome what will stop this war.”
As for Ansam Daoud, a resident of the Tal al-Hawa neighborhood, she points out that Sinwar was “a beloved figure for us, but after the massacres and destruction that befell us, many of us now see him as the reason for all of this.”
She continued: “Therefore, his appointment as leader of the Hamas movement was surprising and shocking, especially since the majority of citizens, including myself, prefer a person from outside the Gaza Strip who show more interest in us, as Haniyeh did.”
