'Butcher of Khan Younis' elected head of Hamas political bureau

Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, has been elected head of the Hamas political bureau.

"Yahya Sinwar has been elected head of the movement’s political bureau instead of the late Ismail Haniyeh," Hamas said.

The new Hamas leader was born in the city of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. He was arrested by the Israeli authorities and convicted to five life sentences on charges of murdering 12 people. In 2011, he was released from prison within a swap.

Shortly after the release, Sinwar joined the Hamas political bureau and was elected the movement’s leader in Gaza in 2017.