Hamas Official: Gaza Leader Sinwar Re-elected

By Staff, Agencies

Hamas firebrand Yehiyeh Sinwar was re-elected on Wednesday as the Resistance Palestinian movement's leader in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas figure, confirmed that Sinwar had fended off a challenge from Nizar Awadallah, one of Hamas' founders. Sinwar will serve another four-year term.

His victory could have deep implications for Hamas' relations with the “Israeli” entity and other regional players. It also could impact upcoming Palestinian elections, the first in 15 years.

Sinwar is a former member of the group’s military wing who spent over two decades in an “Israeli” prison after being convicted of murdering two “Israelis”. He was released in a 2011 prisoner swap. Sinwar maintains close ties to the military wing and has often promoted a confrontational approach toward the entity.

Awadallah was one of Hamas’ founders in the late 1980s and has closer ties to the group’s political leaders.