Hamas announced that its Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar would replace the Palestinian group's assassinated political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh.

In a statement on Tuesday, the group said Sinwar had become its new leader.

"The Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas announces the selection of leader Yahya Sinwar as the head of the political bureau of the movement," a statement from the group said.

Sinwar has not made any public appearances since Oct. 7. Sinwar is Israel's most-wanted Hamas leader, with Tel Aviv accusing him of masterminding the Oct. 7 attack, which prompted Israel to launch a devastating military campaign in the Gaza Strip that killed more than 39,600 people since last Oct. 7, according to local health authorities.

Ten months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

Like Haniyeh, Sinwar was also born in a refugee camp in Gaza after his family was expelled by Israel. But unlike Haniyeh, who had lived in exile in Qatar for years, Sinwar has remained in Gaza. As Hamas' leader in the territory since 2017, he rarely appeared in public.