Yehya al-Sinwar, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, has been chosen as successor to the late Ismail Haniyeh as leader of the Palestinian militant group.
Al-Sinwar’s promotion within the Iran-backed Hamas was announced via Telegram on Tuesday.
He is accused of masterminding the October 7 attacks in southern Israel that killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 250 hostages.
But despite the nearly 10-month Israeli air and ground offensive in Gaza, al-Sinwar appears to have eluded Israeli forces trying to track him down.
Qatar-based Haniyeh was killed in a targeted attack nearly a week ago while visiting Tehran for the inauguration of Iran’s new president.
Iran and its allies have vowed heavy retaliation against Israel, raising fears of a wider regional war.
