After two days of deliberations in Doha, Hamas announced the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as their new leader on Tuesday night.
The appointment, a surprise to many, will further complicate the war in Gaza as it nears its eleventh month.
The decision is being seen as a victory for hardliners in the organisation.
Rather than electing a figure such as Khaled Meshaal, who is seen to be more pragmatic and closer to some Arab states, Sinwar was the mastermind behind the 7 October terror attacks.
Sinwar also has strong links to Iran and took a far more stubborn stance in peace talks than his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh.
Hamas is spread out between Gaza, Qatar and Lebanon.
The move brings together Hamas’s political and military wings – Sinwar, one of the most extreme figures in Hamas, was previously leader of Hamas in Gaza from 2017 – and it remains to be seen how the group will function outside of Gaza.
A recent protest in Beirut, Lebanon, against the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh. Pic: Reuters.
It might be intended as an act of resistance, making the point that after months of heavy fighting, Israel has so far failed to kill Hamas’s leader in Gaza.
But it will likely go down badly with Qatar, the country that hosts some of the exiled Hamas officials, and other regional states.
Hamas officials also see it as a form of retribution for the assassination of Haniyeh – you killed the more pragmatic leader, now see how you like dealing with Sinwar.
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Negotiating a hostage release deal will now be harder for sure: Sinwar and Haniyeh disagreed on the progression of talks, with the latter being more inclined to compromise.
On a practical level, even reaching Sinwar in Gaza, where he is thought to be hiding deep in the vast tunnel network, has sometimes taken days as he tries to avoid detection by Israel.
Depending on who he assigns as his point man for further negotiations, and the mandate he gives them, the talks could move even more slowly going forward.
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Analysed: Footage Israel said showed Hamas leader in Gaza tunnels
Sinwar is increasingly isolated after many of his close aides have been killed by Israel.
But he is said to be determined to continue fighting, despite the devastation reaped on Gaza and its people over the past ten months, and the few unverified reports we’ve heard suggest he is in no mood to stop the war.
