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.

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.

Read more:
Who is Sinwar?
Inside the one place left for Gazans to go
Assassinations will almost certainly expand war

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

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.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News

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.

Related posts:

Germany changes guidance and recommends Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for over-65s Cyprus to allow vaccinated Britons into the country without restrictions from 1 May ‘Powerfully destructive combination’: Data shows soaring carbon footprint released by wildfires Private plane crashes off coast of Latvia after NATO jets scrambled Aung San Suu Kyi’s prison term reaches 26 years after latest fraud sentencing Attack on Pride parade by alleged IS sympathisers is foiled Pakistan to hold day of mourning after boat sinks off Greek coast Quarter of world’s population living with extreme annual water stress Libya dams collapsing after deadly storm sounded like ‘explosion after explosion’ Israel’s decision to ease aid flows into Gaza is an incredibly significant move Tourists, including 11 Britons, hurt in minibus crash UK plans to ramp up weapons production as Lord Cameron reveals envoy will oversee ‘national priority’