UPDATE 3 - Yahya Sinwar appointed new Hamas political chief

ADDS STATEMENT FROM HAMAS LEADER OSAMA HAMDAN

GAZA CITY, Palestine (AA) - The Palestinian resistance group Hamas appointed Yahya Sinwar as its new political chief on Tuesday.

Sinwar succeeds Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran after he attended the swearing-in ceremony of Iran’s new president on July 31, the group said in a statement on its Telegram channel.

Hamas and Iran have accused Israel of assassinating Haniyeh, but Tel Aviv has not denied or confirmed its responsibility.

Later, Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior Hamas official, told Anadolu that “Hamas’s choice of Sinwar as its leader sends a message with significant implications directed to the enemy (Israel) and its allies.”

Hamas leader Osama Hamdan said in a recorded message that Sinwar's appointment to lead Hamas's political bureau “reaffirms the unity of the movement and its awareness of the dangers it faces.”

He said the decision also demonstrates that “Israeli assassination policies will not succeed in breaking the resistance.”

Sinwar is the most wanted Hamas leader by Israel, with Tel Aviv accusing him of masterminding the Oct. 7 cross-border attack last year by the group which prompted Israel to launch a devastating military campaign in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 39,600 people, according to local health authorities.

Ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Mohammad Sio contributed to this story