Hamas senior official Osama Hamdan said today that Yahya Sinwar, recently chosen as the new head of Hamas political bureau following Haniyeh’s assassination, comes after unanimous agreement by the movement.

The unanimous decision by Hamas for Sinwar to lead the political office reflects the “movement’s awareness of the current phase” – according to Hamdan.

“Sinwar is widely accepted within the movement and is a figure of consensus,” the senior Hamas official said.

He added that the ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations were not managed without Siwar’s input and follow up, adding that he “was never distant from the negotiations”.

The decision for Sinwar to lead Hamas politically is a message that it has “chosen someone who has carried the burden of fighting on the ground in Gaza for over 300 days,” per Hamdan, in statements made from Beirut, Lebanon.

Regarding the latest updates on the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, Hamdan said that it is still too early to discuss the outcome of the negotiations.