After Hamas announced yesterday, Tuesday, the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as its new political bureau chief following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, the U.S. response came. In his first comment on this appointment, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken downplayed its significance indirectly. He stated last night that Sinwar has long held the military and political decision-making power within the movement. In a press conference, he emphasized that Sinwar played a crucial role in determining whether the movement would support a ceasefire in Gaza, referring to the negotiations that had taken place over the past months with Israel under American, Egyptian, and Qatari mediation. Blinken said, "He has been and remains the key decision-maker regarding ceasefire negotiations. It is, therefore, now his responsibility to decide whether to move forward with the truce."
Meanwhile, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz described Sinwar as a "major terrorist" in response to his appointment as Hamas chief. He urged in a tweet on X to eliminate and eradicate him, writing: "The appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the new leader of Hamas, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, is another compelling reason to quickly eliminate him and wipe this evil organization off the face of the earth."
