Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar tests positive for COVID-19
The 58-year-old Hamas official was tested after experiencing symptoms.
The leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, has tested positive for COVID-19 and is now in quarantine, the militant group said in a statement Tuesday.
“A special coronavirus test was conducted for Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, after symptoms manifested and it came back positive,” his office said. “We emphasize that Yahya Sinwar is fine and in good health, thank God. He is working normally according to safety protocols and medical quarantine.”
Sinwar, 58, is the latest Hamas official to contract the virus since Gaza reported its first case in March. Deputy political head Saleh al-Arouri, foreign relations director Mousa Abu Marzouq and senior member Fathi Hammad have each tested positive for COVID-19 and recovered.
The deadly virus has also reached the leadership of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank. Veteran Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat, who acted as chief architect for decades of negotiations with the Israelis, died last month following complications from the coronavirus.
