Gaza: A senior Hamas official says a top member of the group’s armed wing has been chosen as its new leader in the Gaza Strip.
Yahyah Sinwar, a senior commander who was freed by Israel in a 2011 prisoner swap, is considered one of the most hard-line figures in the group.
The Hamas official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was discussing the group’s secretive election process, confirmed the appointment.
Sinwar replaces Esmail Haniyeh, who was prime minister of Hamas’ government in Gaza after the militant group overran the territory in 2007.
Since his release by Israel, Sinwar has built up his power in the secretive military wing and is believed to have ordered the execution of a top rival last year in a power struggle.
It remained unclear what the move means since Haniyeh concluded a “successful” trip to Egypt in January.
The two sides discussed Israel’s blockade of Gaza, Palestinian reconciliation and the lingering power outage in the strip.
No details were revealed but Haniyah posted on his Twitter that relations with Egypt will witness “paradigm shifts.”
Egypt’s relations with Hamas deteriorated since the 2013 military ouster of Islamist President Mohammad Mursi, who hails from the Muslim Brotherhood group, Hamas’ mother movement. Authorities accused the group of supporting militants to carry out attacks in Egypt.
