Israel vows to eliminate new Hamas leader as experts see ceasefire deal in peril

ISRAEL HAS VOWED to eliminate the new Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, the alleged mastermind of the 7 October attack, as regional hostilities threatening to boil over as the Gaza war enters its 11th month.

The naming of Sinwar to lead the Palestinian militant group came as Israel steeled itself for potential Iranian retaliation over the killing of his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh last week in Tehran.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday said Israel was “determined” to defend itself. He added that the Israeli Defence Forces will be prepared “both defensively and offensively”.

Army chief Lieutenant General Herzi Halevi vowed to “find [Sinwar], attack him” and force Hamas to find someone to replace him.

Sinwar – Hamas’ leader in Gaza since 2017 – has not been seen since the 7 October attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history. Sources and analysts believe his selection was a message that the militant group will “continue its path of resistance”.

Many, including the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, believe the Gaza ceasefire deal is at stake since Sinwar took over and, according to SITE Intelligence Group, Hamas could “only lean further into its hardline militant strategy” if the deal is rejected.

Civilians in both Israel and Gaza met Sinwar’s appointment with unease. Mohammad al-Sharif, a displaced Gazan, told AFP: “He is a fighter. How will negotiations take place?”

Before the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the US and other security experts were hopeful a ceasefire deal would be reached – and most of the negotiations was spent trying to convince the Israeli government to agree to the deal.

Eleven months of fighting in Gaza has led to fears that fighting in the Middle East will become more widespread. Ireland has changed its travel advice to the region, telling citizens not to travel to Israel, Lebanon or Palestine.

Yesterday, Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed militant group in southern Lebanon, traded cross-border fire with Israeli troops once again. One Hezbollah fighting and a civilian were killed in an Israeli strike close to the southern border yesterday.

The Israeli military said it had eliminated a Hamas commander in the area and later said its jets had destroyed a launcher on that had been used by Hezbollah to send drones towards the Golan Heights earlier in the evening.