Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar, popularly known as Yahya Sinwar, killed by the Israel Defense forces was a Palestinian militant and Hamas leader. He served as the Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau since August 2024. He was a leader of Hamas in Gaza Strip and considered co-founders of the security apparatus of Hamas. Sinwar was elected as the leader of Hamas in Gaza in 2017.
Early And Personal Life Of Sinwar
He was born on 29 October, 1962 in Khan Yunis refugee camp which was primarily a Palestinian refugee camp. He did his schooling from Khan Yunis Secondary School for Boys. He grafuated from The Islamic University of Gaza. He held a Bachelor’s degree in Arabic studies. As per reports, his family were either expelled or had fled from Al-Majdal Asqalan which is now known as Ashkelon, during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. They had sought refuge in Gaza Strip and Sinwar was brought up there. His refugee upbringing had a great impact and influence on him. According to one inmate, he was deeply affected by the communal living conditions and food distribution in the refugee camp.
He married Samar Muhammad Abu Zamar in 21 November 2011 and they have three children together.
Interestingly, apart from Arabic, Sinwar spoke Hebrew which he learned during his imprisonment. His younger brother Mohammed Sinwar is also a military leader in Hamas.
Imprisonment By Israel
He was imprisoned and sentenced to four life sentences by Israel. He served 22 years in prison until his release in a 2011 prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He was actively working during his time in prison and carried out the execution of Palestinians suspected of collaboration with Israel and also planned the abduction of Israeli soldiers.
He had announced to pursue ‘peaceful, popular resistance’ in 2018 and had supported the 2018-2019 Gaza border protests. He is regarded as the mastermind behind the Hamas’ 7th October attack on Israel in 2023. As per reports, it is said that the Hamas was planning the attack for two years, and Sinwar had intended to involve Hezbollah and Iran.
The Butcher of Khan Younis
He was first arrested in 1982 for disruptive activities and was locked for served several months in the Far’a prison. During his time in prison, he met several other Palestinian activists. He then dedicated his life for Palestinian cause. Sinwar was arrested again in 1985. After his release, he co-founded Majd, which was an organization that worked to identify collaborators with Israel among the Palestinians. It came to be known as the Hamas’ police in 1987. The formation of this orgnaisation and killing of suspected collaborators gained him the title of ‘The Butcher of Khan Younis.’
His operation didn’t stop here, he further planned the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and murder of four Palestinians whom he suspected of cooperating with Israel in 1988. Following this, he was arrested in February, 1988. It was revealed that during the interrogation, he had admitted to have strangled one of the victims with his bare hands, suffocated and killed the other two and had accidentally shot the fourth one during an abduction attempt.
During his imprisonment, he attempted to escape by digging a hole in his cell floor to tunnel under the prison. He even collaborated with Hamas leaders outside, smuggling phones into the prison and using visitors to propagate messages.
After his release, he was elected to a role within Hamas which was equivalent to Defence minister.
Hamas Leader
Sinwar was elected as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in February 2017, he had succeeded Ismail Haniyeh. After being elected as the Hamas leader, Sinwar established a Hamas-controlled administrative committee for the Gaza Strip in March. He opposed power sharing with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. He even rejected reconciliation with Israel. Reports suggest that he wanted Israel’s eradication. He believed military confrontation as the only way to liberate Palestine. He said that the liberation will happen only by force and not through negotiations. He ordered the militants to capture Israeli soldiers in large numbers.
However, on 16 May 2018, in an announcement on Al Jazeera, Sinwar stated that Hamas would pursue ‘peaceful, popular resistance’ to the Israeli occupation. This led to a room for the possibility that Hamas may play a role in negotiations with Israel. According to reports, a week earlier he had encouraged Gazans to breach the Israeli siege and proclaimed, “We would rather die as martyrs than die out of oppression and humiliation.” He added, “We are ready to die, and tens of thousands will die with us.”
7th October Attack
Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are considered as the masterminds behind the Hamas’ attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. It’s said to be the deadliest attack in history of Israel. Hamas’ attack left around 1,200 people dead and about 240 taken as hostages in Gaza. Following the attack, Sinwar was put under EU terrorist sanctions.
After the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on 31 July 2024, Hamas had named Yahya Sinwar as the new ‘overall leader’ of the movement and also the new head of Hamas Political Bureau.
Hamas has been designated as a terrorist organisations by the United States, the European Union, and other countries. United States government in September 2015 had designated Sinwar as a specifically designated terrorist.
“Since the beginning of this war that Sinwar started on October 7 — we’ve said: Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We mean it.”
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and our operational goals in Gaza: pic.twitter.com/OgkgUc5Bhi
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 17, 2024
Also Read: ‘Yahya Sinwar Is Dead’ – Israeli PM Netanyahu Confirms Elimination Of October 7 Attack Mastermind
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