Middle East expert Dr. Ephraim Arera warned that the election of Yihya Sinwar as the new leader of the Hamas political office in Gaza yesterday is detrimental to Israeli security.

Dr. Arera criticized the government's decision to release Sinwar as part of the deal in which Gilad Shalit was returned to Israel after years of captivity in Gaza in 2011. He had been given four life sentences for murdering Israelis and PA policemen, and was involved in the capture and murder of IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994.

"He is a terrorist who has been among the founders of the Izzadin al-Qassam [Brigades]...the military wing of Hamas. And so, for the first time, a prominent military personality will be the leader of the political Hamas wing in the Gaza Strip," Dr. Arera said.

"He is well-known as a hard-line politician, and his aim is to have an ongoing war and battle against Israel. The best way, according to him, is to prepare a huge terrorist attack against Israel, and immediately afterwards for all Hamas leaders to go underground, forcing Israel to commit to war against the Gaza Strip with no tangible results."