After more than 600 days of war and years of being steered by the brothers Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas has a new leader in the Gaza Strip.

He has only a few hundred fighters at his disposal; Hamas has thousands. His group controls bits of turf in Rafah and Khan Younis, two ruined cities in southern Gaza. It is hardly a juggernaut. Yet it has nonetheless found a powerful patron.

The confirmation of Mr Sinwar’s death changes little in and of itself. Hamas has already appointed a replacement and it has weathered the killings of many of its bosses. But it could shift the balance within the movement’s leadership, formerly dominated by Gazans, just as Israel once again increases pressure on the coastal strip.

Two hostages' bodies recovered from Gaza • Gov't to vote on Knesset dispersal • US, Iran not likely to hold sixth round of nuclear talks

As Abu Shabab and his militia continue to fend off the allegations, Basem Naim, Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson, asserted that the group had little influence in Gaza, marking an apparent blow to Israel's efforts to challenge Hamas' rule in the territory.

The U.S. Treasury Department on Tuesday imposed sanctions on a major Palestinian legal group for prisoners and detainees along with 4 other charitable entities across the Middle East, Africa and Europe,

The Israeli military on Sunday released video it said showed the underground rooms where they found the body of Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar who is believed to have died in tunnels under a Gaza hospital last month.

Hamas leaders outside the strip – currently based in Doha, Beirut and Istanbul – "have the upper hand once again". They are "expected to support" a ceasefire deal "relinquishing Hamas' post-war role in Gaza but preserving its standing in the Arab world".