Following the appointment of Yahya Sinwar as the head of Hamas's political bureau, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz issued specific instructions to Israel's diplomatic missions on how to respond on Friday. Katz urged countries that have not yet designated Hamas as a terror organization to do so immediately.
For those countries that have already made such a declaration, Katz asked them to enforce this by "personally designating Sinwar."
Katz instructed the international community to take action against Hamas in two ways: first, by ensuring that Hamas's representatives and officials are banned from entering their territory, and second, by cutting off all of Hamas's funding sources. Katz also called on the international community to "express support for Israel's legitimate fight against Hamas."
Details of Sinwar's appointment
Earlier this week, Hamas announced Yahya Sinwar's appointment as the head of its political bureau. This announcement came as a surprise, as recent rumors regarding Ismail Haniyeh's successor pointed to other candidates.
The two main names mentioned were Mohammed Ismail Darwish, a relatively unknown young figure in the organization, and Khaled Mashaal, Hamas's leader abroad. However, Sinwar ultimately prevailed.
Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza and one of the architects of the October 7 massacre, strongly opposed Mashaal's candidacy. His appointment now makes him the de facto leader of Hamas and the most powerful figure in the organization.