Hamas has appointed a new chief to lead the terror organization until it can hold elections next year to replace its assassinated leader, according to Saudi reports.
Mohamed Ismail Darwish, the man leading Hamas’ Shura Council, was originally tapped to be the interim chief following the death of Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in a bombing in Tehran last week, the Saudi-based Al Arabiya news reports.
But instead, Hamas announced Tuesday afternoon that Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar would serve as Haniyeh’s successor.
Darwish, who is also known as Abu Omer Hassan, was to be in charge of coordinating among the terror group’s leadership in Gaza, the West Bank, the diaspora and those in Israeli prisons until the group’s 2025 elections.
Hamas will elect its next leader in 2025 following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh (left). picture alliance via Getty Images
Iranians burn the Israeli flag during Haniyeh’s funeral. APDarwish had been in charge of the Shura Council since his senior, Osama Mazini, was killed by the IDF in October.
Mazini was the man in charge of the 2011 hostage exchange that saw Hamas free IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, including current Gaza chief and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar.
The Shura Council serves as Hamas’ second-most important political body, composed of elected officials from the four representative regions with leaders including Sinwar and diaspora chief Khaled Meshaal.
The council’s membership is kept secret, and its members elect the 15 members of Hamas’ Politburo, the main body that decides the government’s actions and elects the terror group’s leader.
Haniyeh was killed by a bomb placed in the complex he was staying at last week in Tehran.
Khaled Meshaal (left) welcomes supporters of Hamas at Haniyeh’s funeral beside Islamic Jihad chief Ziad al-Nakhalah. REUTERSMeshaal, 68, having previously served as Hamas’ top political chief and surviving an Israeli assassination in the 1990s, stood as the favorite to succeed Haniyeh before Sinwar was appointed.
Haniyeh’s assassination has thrown the Middle East into chaos as Iran, embarrassed by the top official’s assassination in their capital, vowed to strike Israel directly as revenge.
The looming attack has stoked fears of an all-out war between Israel and Iran and its proxies, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowing to retaliate against anyone who attacks the Jewish state.
Along with Iran, Hezbollah supporters in Yemen have vowed revenge against Israel after one of their own senior commanders was killed last week. AFP via Getty ImagesIt remains unclear when exactly Iran will attack, but the country has called for an emergency meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation on Wednesday to discuss Haniyeh’s assassination and Iran’s response.
Tehran has repeatedly claimed that although it will get revenge for the Hamas chief’s death, it does not seek to spread the war in Gaza across the Middle East.
