Confirmation from Hamas is still pending, but Israel reports the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip. He belonged to the original generation of Hamas and was one of the main minds of the crowd on October 7, 2023.
Sinwar was born in 1962 in a refugee camp in Khan Yunis, Gaza. He earned a degree in Arabic studies from the Islamic University of Gaza. While studying, Sinwar was arrested for the first time in 1982 and imprisoned in Israel for several months.
He was involved in the establishment of the internal security forces (al-Majd) which later became Hamas and was responsible for establishing the apparatus of the secret service of fear.
“The Butcher Khan Yunis”
In December 1987, Sinwar was present at the founding of Hamas. He was arrested again in 1988 and found guilty the same year of his involvement in the murder of Israeli and Palestinian soldiers. He confessed to killing suspected Palestinian collaborators, earning him the nickname “The Butcher of Khan Yunis”.
Sinwar was sentenced to four life terms in an Israeli prison. He spent his time in prison “studying the enemy,” as he put it, and learning Hebrew.
Legend:
Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, on Al-Kuds Day (“Jerusalem Day”) on April 14, 2023. The day of protest is directed against the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem and against Israel’s existence there.
Imago Images / Majdi Fathi
In 2008, Sinwar survived a brain tumor while in custody after being treated by Israeli doctors. In 2011, he was among 1,026 Palestinian prisoners released by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. In total he was in Israeli custody for over 20 years.
He found a career in Hamas
Sinwar belonged to the original generation of Hamas. The Islamic organization was formed during the first Palestinian uprising, the Intifada, in the late 1980s to fight against the Israeli occupation. He was also involved in the establishment of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades.
After returning to Gaza, Sinwar quickly rose through the leadership ranks of Hamas. The founder of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmad Yasin († 2004) described him as his most important assistant.
As of 2017, Sinwar became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, controlling the coastal area. He then worked with his predecessor Ismail Haniya to link Hamas to Iran and its proxies in the region. When Haniya was killed in a suspected Israeli attack during a visit to Tehran in July, Sinwar accepted the supreme leadership of Hamas.
Legend:
The then leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar (left) and the leader of Hamas Ismail Hanija (right) at a media conference with the wife of Mazen Fuqahades, who was killed in 2017 as the leader of the Qassam Brigades in the Gaza Strip (May 11 , 2017)
REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
As early as 2022, he promised in a rare speech to send a “flood of fighters and missiles” to Israel. He uncompromisingly advocated the establishment of a Palestinian state and the destruction of Israel. He was often described as brutal and fanatical.
Mastermind the attack on October 7, 2023
Yahya Sinwar is believed to have prepared the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 with Mohammed Deif († 2024), the head of the armed wing of Hamas. More than 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack. Israel described Sinwar as “the face of evil.” He is hiding from the attack.
Even before his appointment as Hamas’ top leader, Sinwar was considered to have a say in all decisions. According to Hamas circles, he was also the main person in negotiations regarding the ceasefire and the release of the Israeli hostages.