Hamas has selected Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks, as its new leader.

Hamas announced on Tuesday that Yahya Sinwar, the group’s top official in Gaza and the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks in Israel, has been selected as its new leader.

The selection of Sinwar, a secretive leader known for his hard-line stance and close ties to Iran, represents a bold move by Hamas. He is reportedly at the top of Israel’s list of targets as the country aims to dismantle Hamas and its leadership following the October 7 attack, during which militants killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took approximately 250 hostages.

Hamas has announced that Sinwar will be taking over as the new head of its political bureau, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was presumed to have been killed in an Israeli strike in Iran last week. In another development, Israel confirmed the death of Hamas’ military leader, Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike in Gaza last July. Hamas has not yet confirmed Deif’s death.

Unlike Haniyeh, who lived in exile in Qatar for years, Sinwar has been based in Gaza since 2017. He has kept a low profile but maintained firm control over Hamas’ rule in the territory. Sinwar is known to have close ties to Deif and the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, and has been instrumental in strengthening the group’s military capabilities.

Sinwar has been in hiding since the October 7 attacks, while Israel launched its campaign in Gaza, resulting in a Palestinian death toll of nearly 40,000.