(24 Feb 2017) Yehiya Sinwar made his first public appearance since being named leader of Hamas, the Islamist group in control of the Gaza Strip, on Friday at the opening of a new mosque in Rafah.
The appointment of Sinwar, who was freed by Israel in a 2011 prisoner swap after two decades behind bars, solidifies the takeover of Gaza operations by the armed wing of the group from civilian leaders.
The military wing, which controls thousands of fighters and a vast arsenal of rockets, has battled Israel in three wars since Hamas seized Gaza a decade ago.
The militant wing tends to take more hard-line positions toward Israel, while the politicians, who are tasked with improving the difficult living conditions in Gaza, tend to be more pragmatic.
Sinwar replaces Ismail Haniyeh, who served as the prime minister of Hamas' government following the 2007 takeover of Gaza and remains a top figure in the movement.
Haniyeh on Friday welcomed the naming of Sinwar as a sign that Hamas rewards loyalty and said Sinwar was a hero in the eyes of the Palestinians.
Haniyeh is now expected to take over as Hamas' supreme leader, replacing Khaled Mashaal, who lives in exile.
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