By Nidal al-Mughrabi
CAIRO (Reuters) – Hamas politician Khalil al-Hayya is set to continue leading indirect negotiations with Israel for a Gaza ceasefire with guidance from the group’s newly appointed leader, Yahya Sinwar, who continues to run the war effort inside the enclave, three Palestinian sources including a Hamas official said.
Hamas announced on Tuesday that it had picked Sinwar – one of the masterminds of the militant group’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel – as overall leader, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran last month.
The choice of Sinwar, whom Israel has vowed to kill, is seen signalling a defiant stance by Hamas as the Gaza war grinds on, handing the leadership to a man who is widely thought to be running the war from tunnels beneath the enclave.
Experts on Palestinian politics had seen Hayya as a leading candidate to replace Haniyeh, due partly to his good ties with the group’s main backer, Iran, whose support will be vital for the movement to recover after the war.
Working under the supervision of Haniyeh, Hayya has led the group’s delegation in mediated talks with Israel aimed at securing a ceasefire and a deal to exchange Israelis abducted by Hamas on Oct. 7 with Palestinians in Israeli jails.
“Dr. Khail Al-Hayya is the head of the negotiation team and there is no change to this,” the Hamas official said.
Another source familiar with Hamas deliberations said Hayya had enjoyed the trust of both Haniyeh and Sinwar, and saying it was expected that he would “continue to lead the indirect negotiations and be the diplomatic face of the movement”.
Both Hayya and Zaher Jabarin, who leads Hamas in the West Bank from outside the Palestinian territories, “will play a bigger role in the future, also as both have good relations with Iran and Hezbollah”, the source said.
The sources declined to be identified because of political sensitivities.
Hayya is Hamas’ deputy leader for Gaza, though he has performed the role from outside the Palestinian territories for several years and resides in Qatar.
Sinwar has not appeared in public since the Oct. 7 attacks, but has played a key role in directing military operations and the negotiations for a prisoner-hostage swap.
The source familiar with Hamas deliberations said messages continued to be exchanged back and forth between the group’s leaders abroad and Sinwar in the Gaza Strip, though these may take time to deliver.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Sinwar’s selection underscored the weight given by Hamas to the Gaza Strip.
“It is also a message to the (Israeli) occupation that your assassination of Haniyeh brought about counter results,” he said.
Hamas-led militants last October killed 1,200 people and abducted another 250, according to Israeli tallies. The attack prompted Israel to launch its devastating Gaza offensive which has killed around 40,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry.
(Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Leslie Adler)
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