Hamas has appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new political leader following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

Haniyeh, the previous leader and chief negotiator for ceasefire talks, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on July 30-31.

Israeli authorities accuse Sinwar of being a key planner behind Hamas's unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and over 200 hostages.

Since the October 7 attack, Sinwar has been hiding in an undisclosed location within the Gaza Strip, likely in the organization's tunnel system.

Israel's military spokesman has labeled Sinwar a terrorist and emphasized Israel's intent to continue pursuing him.

Israeli military officials have marked Sinwar as a primary target, indicating potential escalations in military actions against him.

Regional diplomats suggest that Sinwar's leadership marks a tough and uncompromising approach in negotiations for a ceasefire and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Hamas spokesperson Osama Hamdan stated that negotiations for a ceasefire would continue under Sinwar's leadership, attributing negotiation failures to Israeli and U.S. actions.

Sinwar is currently the chief decision-maker in Gaza and reportedly controls approximately 120 Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

His appointment is expected to shift Hamas further towards a more aggressive stance in both military and political domains.

Sinwar envisions a single Palestinian state that includes Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and has vowed to punish those obstructing reconciliation with the rival Fatah party.

Following the announcement of Sinwar's leadership, a barrage of rockets was fired from Gaza into Israel, claimed by Hamas's military wing, the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades.