War-weary Gazans expressed concern on Wednesday after Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new supremo. They fear his past as the movement’s military commander could hamper their efforts to broker a ceasefire.
“We don’t know what Hamas is thinking or why it chose Yahya Sinwar as its chief, especially when his whereabouts are unknown,” Mohammed al-Sharif, 29, told AFP in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah.
“He is a fighter. How will the negotiations take place?”, asked the displaced person, a native of Gaza City, adding: “We want nothing more than an end to the war”.
Hamas announced late Tuesday that it had appointed Sinwar, 61, to replace Ismail Haniyya, who Israel says masterminded the October 7 attack that sparked the Gaza war. Ismail Haniyya was assassinated in Tehran on July 31.
Sinwar has not been seen since the Israeli attack, with several reports claiming he is operating from one of several underground tunnels in Gaza.
Ibrahim Abu Daka, 35, also reiterated Sharif’s disappointment at the selection of Sinwar as successor to Haniyya, who was considered by some as a pragmatist.
“In my opinion, it was inappropriate to appoint Yahya Sinwar as head of Hamas at this crucial stage,” he told AFP.
Abu Daqa, a displaced person in Deir al-Balah and originally from the southern Gaza city of Rafah, said the decision could have “negative consequences on many levels, including stopping the negotiations or making them progress, especially because Israel is looking for him to assassinate him”.
He asked, “The capture led to the death of negotiator Ismail Haniyeh. What will happen to fighter Yahya Sinwar now?”
A senior Hamas official told AFP that Sinwar’s selection sent a message that the activist group was “continuing its path of resistance”.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has already called for Sinwar’s assassination.
Bashir Qaraqaz expressed fears that Israel’s determination to kill Sinwar would make his appointment an obstacle to peace.
“This war will not end in the near future because Israel has rejected Sinwar,” he said. “They want a political figure to bow down to them, and Sinwar is a stubborn person who probably won’t bow down,” he added.
Hani al-Kano was more optimistic. He stressed that unlike Haniyeh, who lives in self-exile in Qatar, Sinwar had been in Gaza throughout the conflict and was more familiar with the daily reality of war.
“He could have a positive impact on the negotiations and pose a challenge to Israel, as Sinwar is living among the besieged people in the Gaza Strip,” he said.
“He is different from Haniyeh, who lived abroad.”
Excitement in the West Coast
Various Palestinian political factions in the occupied West Bank congratulated Hamas for the selection of Sinwar.
These included the left-wing Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which “wished Sinwar success” in a statement published by Hamas.
Palestinian residents of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where Hamas has become more popular than the ruling Fatah movement since the October 7 attack, showed greater enthusiasm for the new Hamas supremo.
“Choosing Sinwar to lead the Hamas movement was an excellent decision, because Sinwar lives at the center of the war, and so he knows very well what he is talking about,” said Farah Qassim, owner of a coffee shop in Ramallah, the headquarters of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority.
“Their decisions will be made taking into account the suffering experienced by people in Gaza,” the 54-year-old said.
Imad Abu Fokhaida, a school administrator in a nearby village, expressed the same sentiment.
“Choosing Sinwar was a wise decision and a message to the Israeli occupation that a political solution, which Israel rejected by killing Haniyya, will only come from the barrel of a gun,” said Abu Fokhaida, 57.
“All wars end with negotiations, and today the negotiators will lead the war.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)