BEIRUT (AP) — The Palestinian militant group Hamas says it has chosen Yahya Sinwar, its top official in Gaza who masterminded the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, as its new leader.

Hamas said in a statement Tuesday it named Sinwar as the new head of its political bureau to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran last week in a presumed Israeli strike.

Sinwar has not made any public appearances since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel in which militants killed 1,200 people and took about 250 as hostages, triggering Israel’s now 10-month-old campaign in Gaza.

Five U.S. service members and two U.S. contractors were injured Monday afternoon when two rockets struck Ain al-Asad Airbase in Iraq, a U.S. defense official told Fox News on Tuesday.

Five of the injured personnel were being treated at Ain al-Asad Airbase, while two others have been evacuated for further care, the defense official said, adding that all seven of the injured U.S. personnel were in stable condition.

“Post-strike assessments are still ongoing,” the official said. “We’ll continue to provide updates as they become available.”

Earlier Monday, Iraqi security officials confirmed the attack, but no group has claimed responsibility. The attack comes amid a recent uptick in strikes on American forces by Iranian-backed militias.

ISRAEL STRIKE IN LEBANON REPORTEDLY KILLS 4 HEZBOLLAH OPERATIVES AS REGION BRACES FOR POSSIBLE IRAN ATTACK

Hours after the attack, President Biden said on X that he and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed about “developments in the Middle East,” on Monday.

“We received updates on threats posed by Iran and its proxies, diplomatic efforts to de-escalate regional tensions, and preparations to support Israel should it be attacked again,” the post read. “We also discussed the steps we are taking to defend our forces and respond to any attack against our personnel in a manner and place of our choosing.”

Ain al-Asad airbase is located in the Anbar province in Iraq. (Reuters/Thaier Al-Sudani, File)

Tensions in the Middle East have escalated in recent weeks as the Israel-Hamas war rages on.

CENTCOM COMMANDER MEETS WITH ISRAELI OFFICIALS IN STRONG SHOW OF ‘SUPPORT FOR ISRAEL,’ DEFENSE CHIEF SAYS

The assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week ratcheted up tensions in the Middle East further. Israel has not come out publicly to claim responsibility for the killing, but Iran and Hamas are accusing the Jewish state of being behind it.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge the death of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran last week. (Getty Images, File)

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Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has vowed to avenge the death of Haniyeh, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Israel remains ready for any scenario.

Fox News’ Andrea Vacchiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Izabela Sajbor, my sister-in-law, was just 30 years old when, at 22 weeks pregnant, she found herself in a hospital bed.

Surrounded by doctors who refused to act due to the stringent abortion laws enacted under the far-right Law and Justice (PiS) government, Izabela died from septic shock 24 hours later, leaving behind a 9-year-old daughter and a grieving family. She is believed to be the first known victim of Poland’s abortion ban.

Izabela’s death sparked protests across Poland against the misogynist laws of the PiS government under the slogan “Not a single woman more”.

The official investigation blamed medical malpractice. Which is partly true — there were medical errors.

But most of all, I believe that the change in abortion law influenced the doctors’ decision, ultimately leading to my sister-in-law’s death.

This tragedy is a reminder of the dangers posed by far-right politics, which prioritise ideology over human life, of the ways the political becomes personal.

We came to Brussels to share our stories

Our story is not unique. Across Europe, wherever the far right gets into power, we see attacks on families, wars on women, and the shredding of personal freedoms and choices.

The makeup of the new European Parliament will worry people across Europe who traditionally bear the brunt of far-right power.

As Euronews put it, the new Parliament is “more right wing, with fewer women”. New hard-right groupings include Viktor Orban’s and Marine Le Pen’s Patriots for Europe with 84 seats and the AfD-led Europe of Sovereign Nations with 25 seats may not have seized control, but they will now have enough traction to make it all too tempting to make deals with them.

But normalising these parties would be a huge mistake for a Europe that is attempting to lead the world as a model of liberal democracy.

A recent delegation to Brussels of victims of the far right, in which I took part, came to warn centre and left parties not to cosy up to the ultra-right. We all had our stories to tell.

In Hungary, a children’s book editor witnessed far-right MPs tearing up pages at a press conference, reminiscent of Nazi book burnings. Orbán’s government later banned the depiction of gay people in educational materials and TV shows for under-18s, a move condemned as a violation of children’s rights.

In Italy, two lesbian mothers face a legal battle to keep both their names on their child’s birth certificate, following Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s directive to stop registering same-sex parents’ children. If they lose, one mother could lose her parental rights overnight, a heartbreaking prospect for any family.

And then there was the tragedy of my sister-in-law.

It’s people who bear the scars of governance

These stories expose the ugly face of the far-right, and they are why I have joined a group of survivors from different countries to warn politicians and people alike of how dangerous they are.

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Our group is diverse — but each of us bears the scars of far-right governance. We include LGBTQ+ individuals who have been attacked for who we love or who we are, parents who fear losing the right to parent their children together, and an editor fighting for free speech.

First and foremost, we are just ordinary people who want to live our lives and love our families. But every day is a fight because of the far right.

Although von der Leyen has so far avoided any alliances with the far right, there is still a danger. Analysis has shown that, including the centre-right EPP, every committee in the European Parliament will have a right-wing majority (except for the Committee on Women).

This is significant. Committees have a huge influence. And the temptation for the EPP and Meloni’s ECR may well be to align with the harder right on upcoming issues where their views align.

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Lived realities of countless others across Europe

The simple fact is the far right offers false solutions to the real problems facing Europeans — problems such as rising food prices, housing shortages, and failing public services.

Instead, they thrive on division and scapegoating. They will erode our freedoms, attack our families, and undermine democracy. These are not abstract fears; they are the lived realities of people like me, my family, and countless others across Europe.

Right now, by drawing a red line against any future deals with the far right, President von der Leyen can make one of the most decisive steps to ensure the EU stands firm for all Europeans.

Let Izabela’s tragic death not be in vain. Not one more life should be lost to the cruel and oppressive policies of the far-right. Stand with us, and together, we can safeguard the future of Europe for all its citizens.

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Barbara Skrobol is the sister-in-law of Izabela Sajbor, the first known victim of the de facto abortion ban in Poland.

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