Gazans concerned as ex-military chief Yahya Sinwar takes over Hamas

War-weary Gazans expressed concern on Wednesday following the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as Hamas’s new leader, fearing his past as the movement’s military commander could hinder the ceasefire efforts they desperately seek.

“We don’t know how Hamas is thinking or what led them to choose Yahya Sinwar as their chief, especially when his whereabouts are unknown,” said 29-year-old Mohammad al-Sharif in the central Gaza city of Deir el-Balah.

“He is a fighter. How will negotiations take place?” asked the displaced man originally from Gaza City, adding, “We want nothing but the end of the war.”

On Tuesday, Hamas announced that Sinwar, 61, whom Israel accuses of masterminding the 7 October attack that sparked the Gaza war, would replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on 31 July. Sinwar has not been seen since the attack on Israel, with many reports suggesting he is operating from underground tunnels in Gaza.

‘Sinwar’s appointment inappropriate at critical stage’

Ibrahim Abu Daqa, 35, shared disappointment over Sinwar’s selection to succeed Haniyeh, whom some saw as a pragmatist.

“In my opinion, appointing Yahya Sinwar as the head of Hamas was inappropriate at this critical stage,” he told AFP.

Also displaced in Deir el-Balah and originally from Rafah in southern Gaza, Abu Daqa said the decision “may lead to negative results on multiple levels, including halting negotiations or failing to make progress in them, especially since Israel is seeking him for assassination.”

“The occupation killed the negotiator Ismail Haniyeh. What will happen with the fighter Yahya Sinwar?” he asked.

A senior Hamas official told AFP that the selection of Sinwar sent a message that the militant group “continues its path of resistance.” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has already called for Sinwar’s killing.

Bashir Qarqaz voiced fears that Israel’s determination to kill Sinwar would make his appointment an obstacle to peace.

“The war will not end in the near future because Israel rejects Sinwar,” he said, adding that “they want a political figure to concede to them, and Sinwar is a stubborn man who may not concede.”

Hani al-Qano was more hopeful. He emphasized that unlike Haniyeh, who lived in self-exile in Qatar, Sinwar has lived in Gaza throughout the conflict and is more familiar with the daily realities of the war.

“Sinwar may have a positive impact on the negotiations and may be a challenge to Israel, given that he’s living inside the Gaza Strip among the people under siege,” he said.

“He is different from Haniyeh, who lived abroad.”

Enthusiasm over Sinwar in West Bank

Various Palestinian political factions in the occupied West Bank congratulated Hamas on its choice of Sinwar. These included the leftist 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 been more popular than the ruling Fatah movement since the 7 October attack, showed more enthusiasm for the new Hamas leader.

“Choosing Sinwar to lead the Hamas movement was an excellent decision because Sinwar lives in the heart of the battle, and therefore he knows exactly what he is negotiating,” said Farah Qassem, a coffee shop owner in Ramallah, the seat of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority.

“His decisions will come from the suffering experienced by the people in Gaza,” the 54-year-old added.

Emad Abu Fokheidah, a school administrator in a nearby village, echoed this sentiment.

“Choosing Sinwar was a wise decision and a message to the (Israeli) occupation that the political solution, which Israel rejected by assassinating Haniyeh, will only come from the barrel of a gun,” Abu Fokheidah, 57, said.

“All wars end with negotiations, and today the negotiator will be the one leading the battle.”

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