Yahya Sinwar
Yahya Sinwar | |
|---|---|
يحيى السنوار | |
 Sinwar in 2012 | |
| Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau | |
| In office 6 August 2024 – 16 October 2024 | |
| Deputy | Khalil al-Hayya |
| Preceded by | Ismail Haniyeh |
| Succeeded by | Hamas temporary committee[note 1] (acting) |
| Leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip | |
| In office 13 February 2017[1] – 16 October 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | |
| Preceded by | Ismail Haniyeh |
| Succeeded by | Mohammed Sinwar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar 29 October 1962 Khan Yunis, Egyptian-ruled Gaza Strip |
| Died | 16 October 2024 (aged 61) Tel al-Sultan, Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine[dubious – discuss] |
| Manner of death | Killed in action |
| Nationality | Palestinian |
| Political party | Hamas |
| Spouse |
Samar Muhammad Abu Zamar
(m. 2011) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Mohammed Sinwar (brother) |
| Education | Islamic University of Gaza (BA) |
| Nickname | Abu Ibrahim (kunya) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | Hamas |
| Branch | Al-Qassam Brigades |
| Service years | 1987–2024 |
| Conflicts | |
| Palestinian nationalism Factions and leaders | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Map: Birthplaces or family origins Details below: p. parents from, b. born in, d. death. |
||
| ||
Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar[note 2] (Arabic: يحيى إبراهيم حسن السنوار, romanized: Yaḥyá Ibrāhīm Ḥasan al-Sinwār; 29 October 1962 – 16 October 2024) was a Palestinian militant and politician who served as chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau from August 2024,[2] and as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip from February 2017, until his death in October 2024, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh in both roles.[3][4]
Sinwar was born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Egyptian-ruled Gaza in 1962 to a family who had been expelled or fled from Majdal 'Asqalan (modern Ashkelon) during the 1948 Palestine War.[5] He finished his studies at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he received a bachelor's degree in Arabic studies.[6] In 1989, Sinwar was sentenced to four life sentences in Israel for orchestrating the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians he considered to be collaborators. He spent 22 years in prison until his release among 1,026 others in a 2011 prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.[3] During his time in prison, Sinwar continued to coordinate the execution of Palestinians suspected of collaboration with Israel and planned the abduction of Israeli soldiers.[7][8] Sinwar was one of the co-founders of the security apparatus of Hamas.[9][10][11][12]
In 2017, Sinwar was elected as the leader of Hamas in Gaza and claimed to pursue 'peaceful, popular resistance' the following year, supporting the 2018–2019 Gaza border protests,[13] though he is also reported to have been dedicated to eradicating Israel[14][15] and is said to have seen military confrontation as the only path to "liberating Palestine", saying that this would be achieved "by force, not negotiations".[16] He also developed strong ties with Iran.[17][18][19] Re-elected as Hamas leader in 2021, Sinwar survived an assassination attempt by Israel that same year. He is widely regarded as the mastermind behind the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023,[20][21][22][23] which was followed by the Israel–Hamas war that spilled over to other parts of the Middle East.[24][16]
Hamas and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades have been designated terrorist organisations by the United States, the European Union, and other countries and, in September 2015, Sinwar was specifically designated a terrorist by the United States government.[9] In May 2024, Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, announced his intention to apply for an arrest warrant for Sinwar for war crimes and crimes against humanity, as part of the ICC investigation in Palestine.[25] Sinwar was killed on 16 October 2024, during a firefight with the Israeli military.[26]
Early life and education
Yahya Ibrahim Hassan al-Sinwar was born on 29 October 1962,[27] in the Khan Yunis refugee camp, when the Gaza Strip was under Egyptian rule, where he spent his early years.[28] His family were forcibly expelled from Majdal Asqalan (Arabic: مدينة المجدل, romanized: Medīnat al-Majdal),[29] now known as Ashkelon, during the Nakba, and sought refuge in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar, discussing his refugee upbringing, tied it to his Hamas involvement in conversations with fellow prisoners during his later imprisonment. According to Esmat Mansour, another inmate, Sinwar was deeply affected by the communal living conditions and food distribution in the refugee camp.[7] After he graduated from high school at Khan Yunis Secondary School for Boys, he went on to the Islamic University of Gaza, where he received a bachelor's degree in Arabic studies.[30][31] His younger brother is Mohammed Sinwar, a military leader of Hamas.[32]
Early activities and imprisonment
Sinwar was first arrested in 1982 for subversive activities and he served several months in the Far'a prison where he met other Palestinian activists, including Salah Shehade, and dedicated himself to the Palestinian cause.[30] Arrested again in 1985,[4] upon his release he co-founded with Rawhi Mushtaha the Munazzamat al Jihad w'al-Dawa (Majd), an organization that worked, among others, to identify collaborators with Israel among the Palestinian population,[3] which in 1987 became the Hamas "police".[30] Sinwar's killing of suspected collaborators with Israel gained him the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Younis".[33][34][35]
When asked about this nickname in The New Yorker's August 2024 profile on Sinwar, Basem Naim, a member of Hamas's leadership, said: "I think this is nonsense. That is the first time I have ever heard this." He and other Hamas leaders and supporters added that "Israelis require a great villain" and made one out of Sinwar for this reason. Academic expert on Hamas Khaled Hroub said Sinwar is "widely respected as a great organizer", and that claims of his alleged ruthlessness had not been proved. "Before October 7th, I hadn't heard all these terrible stories", Hroub said, adding: "I think some of these stories came about to complete this image of Sinwar the villain. He is decisive, that is true, and maybe people started to extrapolate from that and spice it up."[36]
In 1988, Sinwar planned the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and the murder of four Palestinians whom he suspected of cooperating with Israel. He was arrested on February that year; during questioning he admitted to strangling one of the victims with his bare hands, suffocating another with a kaffiyeh,[7] inadvertently killing a third during a violent interrogation, and accidentally shooting the fourth during an attempted abduction, and showed investigators an orchard where the four bodies were buried.[37] He was sentenced to four life sentences in 1989.[4][9] Sinwar regarded extracting confessions from collaborators as a righteous obligation. He told interrogators that one of them had even said "he realized he deserved to die."[7][37] Sinwar persisted in targeting informants while in prison. Israeli authorities suspected him of ordering the beheadings of two suspected informants. Hamas operatives reportedly disposed of the victims' severed body parts by throwing them out of cell doors and telling guards to "take the dog's head."[7]
Gershon Baskin, an Israeli peace activist who has long been involved in prisoner-exchange negotiations and talks with Hamas leaders, cautioned that “All these Israeli experts and Shin Bet people and interrogators will tell you that they know exactly what Sinwar knows and believes. But they can’t know. The dynamic of a meeting with someone who is your prisoner is obviously fraught."[36]
Sinwar, respected for his resourcefulness among fellow inmates, attempted multiple escapes, including digging a hole in his cell floor to tunnel under the prison. He collaborated with Hamas leaders outside, smuggling cellphones into the prison and using visitors to relay messages. These often involved planning to kidnap Israeli soldiers for prisoner exchange. Years later, Sinwar would say, "for the prisoner, capturing an Israeli soldier is the best news in the universe, because he knows that a glimmer of hope has been opened for him."[7]
Sinwar's time in prison was transformative, shaping his leadership qualities, according to Ghazi Hamad, a senior Hamas official. Sinwar also mastered Hebrew through an online program and extensively studied Israeli news to comprehend his adversary better. He meticulously translated Hebrew autobiographies of former Shin Bet chiefs into Arabic, sharing them with fellow inmates to study counterterrorism tactics. He referred to himself as a "specialist in the Jewish people's history". Sinwar once remarked to supporters: "They wanted prison to be a grave for us, a mill to grind our will, determination and bodies. But, thank God, with our belief in our cause we turned the prison into sanctuaries of worship and academies for study."[7] Ma'ariv reported that during his time in prison, Sinwar enrolled in fifteen courses through the Open University of Israel over a span of seven years, beginning in 1995. Most were in history, covering topics such as the history of the Jews in the Second Temple and Rabbinic periods, the First Temple period, The Holocaust, and Zionism, along with a political science course on governance and Israeli democracy.[38]
Hamas elects its leaders democratically within prison. Committees handle day-to-day decisions and punishments, while an elected "emir" and a high council oversee operations for limited terms. Sinwar alternated as emir with Rawhi Mushtaha, a confidant, during his imprisonment, serving as emir in 2004. Despite his leadership among prisoners, Sinwar was seen as a humble ascetic who shared cooking duties and other chores with junior inmates as well as making knafeh for fellow prisoners, in order to foster camaraderie.[7]
In 2004, Sinwar, displaying symptoms like standing for prayer then falling and drifting in and out of consciousness, complained of neck pain. A prison dentist, Yuval Bitton, suspected a brain issue, possibly a stroke or abscess, urging urgent hospitalization. At Soroka Medical Center, Israeli surgeons removed a brain tumor that would have been fatal. Bitton emphasized that without surgery, the tumor would have burst. He recounts that a few days later, he visited Sinwar in the hospital with a prison officer. Sinwar asked the Muslim officer guarding him to thank the dentist and to explain to him the significance of his life-saving surgery in Islam and how he felt indebted to him for saving his life. Sinwar rarely interacted with Israeli prison authorities, but he began regular meetings with the dentist. Their discussions, unlike the dentist's usual chats with inmates, solely concerned Hamas ideology. Sinwar, who knew the Qu'ran by heart, articulated Hamas' beliefs, emphasizing its religious stance on the land. He dismissed the possibility of a two-state solution, asserting the land belonged to Muslims.[7]
In a search of Sinwar's cell, guards confiscated a handwritten novel he completed at the end of 2004. The book, titled The Thorn and the Carnation, mirrored his life and the Palestinian resistance. The story revolves around Ahmed, a devout Gazan boy, navigating life under Israeli occupation during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. At least one copy was smuggled out, and a typed PDF was found in an online library by The New York Times.[7] A different translation of the book title Al-Shawk wa’l Qurunful by a source well-versed in Arabic is Thorns and Carnations.[39][40]
Sinwar's sole interview with an Israeli television outlet in 2005 saw him warning Israelis to "be scared" of Hamas's election victory. However, he privately conveyed that much depended on the Israeli government's actions. He emphasized Hamas' demand for rights from the Israeli leadership, not control of the entire town.[7]
Sinwar played a pivotal role in the negotiations for Gilad Shalit's release. Despite being part of the negotiation team, Sinwar opposed deals that did not include high-profile prisoners, known as "the impossibles", such as those serving multiple life sentences. Even after negotiations secured the release of over a thousand prisoners, including some high-profile ones, Sinwar remained adamant. This stance led to a rift in Hamas leadership, with Saleh al-Arouri, another prominent Hamas figure, recognizing the need for compromise. Despite efforts to persuade Sinwar, he persisted, even attempting to orchestrate a hunger strike involving 1,600 Hamas prisoners. His unwavering principles and refusal to compromise complicated negotiations. Eventually, Sinwar's authority waned as other Hamas leaders negotiated a deal without him, as Israeli authorities had put him in solitary confinement until the deal was reached. He was the most senior Palestinian prisoner released to Gaza among 1,026 others in the 2011 prisoner exchange for the soldier. In an interview with Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV, he expressed determination to continue efforts to free more prisoners, urging the Al-Qassam Brigades to kidnap soldiers for exchanges.[7]
Following his release from prison, Sinwar was elected to a role within Hamas akin to defense minister.[7]
In November 2012, during the 2012 Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, Sinwar met Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force General Qasem Soleimani in Tehran[41] and after his 2017 election as the group's leader in Gaza he cultivated closer cooperation between Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.[42][43]
Torture of Mahmoud Ishtiwi
Sinwar was the political representative of the Qassam Brigades when the Brigades' Zeitoun Battalion commander Mahmoud Ishtiwi was accused of embezzlement and other "moral violations".[44]. Hamas believed that fear of having these violations revealed led to him giving Israel information that ultimately contributed to the deaths of Mohammed Deif's wife Widad Asfura and their two children when their home was bombed by Israel in August 2014. Ishtiwi was reportedly whipped, suspended from a ceiling for hours across multiple days, and ultimately killed by being shot with three bullets to the chest.[45]
Leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip (2017–2024)
In February 2017, Sinwar was secretly elected the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, taking over from Ismail Haniyeh. In March, he established a Hamas-controlled administrative committee for the Gaza Strip, opposing power sharing with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah.[3] Sinwar elevated his former prison associates alongside him, with Rawhi Mushtaha serving as the head of Hamas's Gaza government, and Tawfiq Abu Naim helped him to establish an internal security force feared by locals.[46] Sinwar rejected any reconciliation with Israel,[3] and was said to have been dedicated to its eradication,[14][15] seeing military confrontation as the only path to "liberating Palestine", and saying that this would be achieved "by force, not negotiations".[16] Sinwar strengthened Hamas's military wing,[46] and called on militants to capture more Israeli soldiers.[9]
In September 2017, a new round of negotiations with the Palestinian Authority began in Egypt, and Sinwar agreed to dissolve the Hamas administrative committee for Gaza.[47] He was said to have silenced hard-line voices in Gaza, ordering against the use of tunnels that Mohammed Deif wanted to use to sneak fighters into Israel before they were shut down by new classified Israeli technology in 2017.[13]
On 16 May 2018, in an unexpected announcement on Al Jazeera, Sinwar stated that Hamas would pursue "peaceful, popular resistance" to the Israeli occupation, opening the possibility that Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organisation by many countries, may play a role in negotiations with Israel.[13] A week earlier he had encouraged Gazans to breach the Israeli siege and endorsed the Great March of Return, saying "We would rather die as martyrs than die out of oppression and humiliation," and adding, "We are ready to die, and tens of thousands will die with us."[48]
On 1 December 2020, Sinwar tested positive for COVID-19 and was reportedly following the advice of health authorities and taking precautionary measures. A spokesman for the group also said that he was in "good health and [...] pursuing his duties as usual".[49]
In March 2021, Sinwar was elected to a second four-year term as the head of Hamas in Gaza.[50] By that time, Sinwar had solidified his control over the territory, and eliminated veteran Hamas commanders.[46] He started bypassing Hamas's influential Shura council and kept the Doha-based senior leadership partially uninformed about his activities.[46]
On 15 May 2021, an Israeli airstrike was reported to have hit Sinwar's home; there were no immediate details of any deaths or injuries. The strike took place in the Khan Yunis region of southern Gaza in the midst of increasing tension between Israelis and Palestinians.[51] In the week that followed, he appeared publicly at least four times. The most obvious was in a press conference on 27 May 2021. During the conference, Sinwar stated he would walk home from the venue and invited Benny Gantz, the Israeli Minister of Defense to order his assassination during his walk home. Sinwar spent the next hour in the streets of Gaza taking photos with the public.[52]
In the autumn of 2022, Hamas began planning a surprise attack on Israel. Sinwar sought to convince Iran and Hezbollah to participate in the attack or in a broader conflict with Israel,[53][54] aiming to cause its 'collapse'.[53] During one meeting, Sinwar acknowledged that such an attack would likely require sacrifices, probably referring to the people of Gaza.[53] In September 2022, he reviewed the battle plans, though the attack was postponed.[53] By May 2023, Sinwar and his colleagues were relieved to have avoided a minor confrontation during Ramadan, intending to preserve the element of surprise for the 7 October attack.[53]
Israel–Hamas war
Sinwar and Mohammed Deif were regarded as the masterminds behind the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, the deadliest attack in Israeli history.[20][21][22] The 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[55] and became a top target for assassination by the Israeli military.[56]
Israeli intelligence presumed Sinwar was hiding in a complex system of tunnels beneath Gaza and was surrounded by hostages acting as human shields.[57] According to Israeli officials, Sinwar constructed an underground fortress in his hometown of Khan Yunis, from where he continued to coordinate attacks. IDF spokesperson noted that Israeli forces had come close to capturing him on multiple occasions during the war, but he consistently managed to evade them, primarily hiding underground between Khan Yunis and Rafah.[58]
After three weeks of conflict in the Israel–Hamas war, Sinwar proposed the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli confinement in exchange for the release of all the hostages kidnapped in the conflict.[59][56] Sinwar reportedly visited the hostages in the early days of the war promising they would not be harmed. When one of the hostages, Yocheved Lifshitz, said Sinwar should be ashamed of himself, he was silent.[60]
During subsequent cease-fire talks, Sinwar urged other Hamas leaders to refuse concessions. He said that high civilian casualties and the suffering of civilians in Gaza led to international pressure on Israel giving Hamas the upper hand in negotiations.[61]
On 7 November, after Israel had surrounded Gaza City, it claimed it had "trapped" Sinwar in a bunker there.[62] Israeli military authorities later claimed he was in Khan Yunis in an underground bunker.[63] Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said: "We will get to Yahya Sinwar and eliminate him. If the residents of Gaza get there ahead of us, that will shorten the war."[64] Leaflets allegedly dropped by Israel into Gaza proclaimed a bounty of $400,000 for providing information on Sinwar's location.[65] According to Reuters, Israel demanded the exile of Sinwar, Deif, and four other Hamas leaders from Gaza as a condition for a ceasefire.[66]
By February 2024 the IDF believed that Sinwar had moved to Rafah from Khan Younis. According to the IDF, Sinwar was constantly on the move and thus was unable to personally command Hamas forces.[67] On 13 February the IDF released CCTV footage dated 10 October showing Sinwar and his wife and children as well as his brother Ibrahim in a Hamas tunnel complex in Khan Younis. The IDF stated that they were collecting intelligence and interrogating Hamas commanders and their relatives to find Sinwar.[68]
On 20 May 2024, Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, announced his intention to apply for an arrest warrant for Sinwar for war crimes and crimes against humanity, as part of the ICC investigation in Palestine.[69][25]
In June 2024, The Wall Street Journal published what it said were leaked communications between Sinwar and Hamas' leadership, in which Sinwar claimed to "have the Israelis right where we want them" and suggested that Palestinian civilian deaths were "necessary sacrifices" that would "infuse life into the veins of this nation, prompting it to rise to its glory and honour".[70][71] The authenticity of these messages could not be verified.[72] Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas spokesperson, refuted the report, asserting that Sinwar never made such comments and was instead focused on ending the conflict swiftly, calling the circulated statements "completely incorrect".[73]
On 3 September 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice announced criminal charges against Sinwar for his role in the 7 October attack on Israel. The charges, which were filed under seal in February 2024, include conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals.[74][75][76]
Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau (2024)
Following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh on 31 July 2024, Hamas named Yahya Sinwar as the new "overall leader" of the movement, as well as the new chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau. The announcement came after the Shura Council, the body that elects Hamas's politburo, voted unanimously to choose Sinwar as the new leader, in what was described by a Hamas official as a "message of defiance to Israel". He held this position for over 2 months until his own death on October 16 2024.[77][2]
According to the BBC, Yahya Sinwar's election as the leader of Hamas "signalled the end of an era and the beginning of a new, more extreme phase". Per Hamas officials, he was elected due to his considerable popularity in the Arab and Islamic worlds following the October 7 attacks and his strong connections with the "Axis of Resistance", a network of armed groups led by Iran.[19] According to The Wall Street Journal, his election suggests that the movement endorsed his strategy of waging war against Israel in conjunction with Iran's militia allies, also noting that Sinwar had gained increasing popularity among Palestinians due to his approach in handling the conflict.[17] The Economist report indicated that Sinwar's election made a ceasefire less likely as he represented Hamas's most extreme faction. His leadership consolidated Hamas's alignment with Iran and its resistance to diplomatic negotiations.[18]
The IDF Military Intelligence Directorate announced in September that they had begun an investigation into Sinwar's possible death in an airstrike after noting that he had not been heard from for some time.[78] Israel Hayom reported that Israeli authorities believed he was still alive, and lacked any direct evidence of his death, but were "exploring other scenarios".[79] In October Sinwar re-established contact with the Hamas delegation in Qatar.[80]
According to The Wall Street Journal, Sinwar was offered an opportunity to leave Gaza for Egypt in exchange for allowing Egypt to negotiate ceasefire on behalf of Hamas. Sinwar refused, telling Arab mediators that he was on "Palestinian soil". Sinwar recommended that, in case of his death, Hamas appoint a council of leaders to govern and manage the transition following his death.[81]
Personal life
On 21 November 2011, Sinwar married Samar Muhammad Abu Zamar. The couple had three children. Sinwar's wife received a master's degree in theology from the Islamic University of Gaza.[82][83][84]
In addition to his native Arabic, Sinwar spoke Hebrew, which he learned, along with insights into Israeli culture, during his imprisonment in Israel.[7]
Sinwar was a hafiz (a title given to those who have completely memorized the Quran).[7]
Death
.jpg)
On 17 October 2024, the Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet said they were looking into whether Sinwar was among three individuals killed in an operation in Gaza the previous day, though neither Israel nor Hamas officially confirmed his death at that time.[87] The next day, it was reported that IDF soldiers investigating a strike on Hamas members had found a body with a striking resemblance to Sinwar, and that a DNA sample had been collected from it.[88][89][90] Sinwar's body was found dressed in military fatigues and a kuffiyeh, and grasping an AK-47.[91] Among other items found on his person were 40,000 NIS in cash, a lighter and number of identity documents.[92] According to Kan radio, his associates were found with cash, weapons and false identification documents.[93][94] An Israeli pathologist reported that Sinwar sustained injuries to his right forearm from missile fire, his left leg from "fallen masonry", and his body from shrapnel, before being shot in the head, resulting in his death from "severe traumatic brain injury".[95][96]
The IDF confirmed through DNA analysis that Sinwar had been killed a day earlier in Gaza during a firefight with the IDF.[87][26] Israel Police said in a statement that the body matched Sinwar's dental records and fingerprints.[97][98] Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that the killing of Sinwar "is not the end of the war in Gaza,"[99] but he said that Sinwar's death marked the beginning of a new era without Hamas's rule over Gaza.[100] Hamas confirmed Sinwar's death on 18 October.[101][102] On 2 November, sources close to Hamas told the pan-Arab newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that "shortly before his death, Sinwar and those with him suffered from limited access to food, especially during the last three days when they did not eat at all. They were preparing for a confrontation with Israeli forces, which led them to move between several damaged neighboring buildings, shifting from one to another."[103]
Bibliography
- Sinwar, Yahya (2004). The Thorn and the Carnation. Algiers: TASQ Company. ISBN 9798224053018. OCLC 1458995464.[note 3] Novel; two volumes. (Draft2digital edition: ISBN 9781445766720.)
See also
Notes
- ^ Consists of Khaled Mashal, Khalil al-Hayya, Zaher Jabarin, Muhammad Ismail Darwish, and an unnamed senior member of Hamas.
- ^ Often referred as Yahya Sinwar, sometimes transliterated as Yahya al-Sinwar, Yehya al-Sinwar, Yehya Sinwar, Yehia Sinwar, or Yehiyeh Sinwar.
- ^ Arabic: Al-Shawk wa'l Qurunful or Shawk wa Qurunful.
References
- ^ "Israeli occupation's threats against Hamas officials reflect political impasse". Hamas. 25 September 2022. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
- ^ a b "Hamas names Yahya Sinwar as new leader after Ismail Haniyeh's killing". Al Jazeera English. Archived from the original on 6 August 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2024.
- ^ a b c d e Beaumont, Peter (13 February 2017). "Hamas elects hardliner Yahya Sinwar as its Gaza Strip chief". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017.
- ^ a b c Balousha, Hazam; Booth, William (13 February 2017). "Hamas names hard-liner as its new political leader in Gaza". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017.
- ^ "Yahya Sinwar". Britannica. 28 January 2024. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ "Who is the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar?". BBC News. 21 November 2023. Archived from the original on 9 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Becker, Jo; Sella, Adam (26 May 2024). "The Hamas Chief and the Israeli Who Saved His Life". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 27 May 2024. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
- ^ "Repaying a debt with blood: Israeli doctor saved Sinwar, nephew killed on Oct. 7". The Jerusalem Post. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif". United States Department of State. 8 September 2015. Archived from the original on 21 January 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "The Palestinians try to reconcile". The Economist. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- ^ Kottasová, Ivana; Shortell, David (7 December 2023). "Who is Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader Israel has called a 'dead man walking'". CNN. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Morris, Loveday; Balousha, Hazem (11 December 2023). "Who is Hamas leader Yehiya Sinwar: From enforcer to Oct. 7 mastermind". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 11 December 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ a b c "The leader of Hamas in Gaza is the most influential man in Palestine". The Economist. 26 May 2018. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
- ^ a b "Hamas leader Sinwar killed by Israeli troops in Gaza, Netanyahu says war will go on". Reuters.
- ^ a b "Who was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar? From enforcer to architect of Oct. 7". The Washington Post.
- ^ a b c "Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader committed to eradicating Israel". Reuters.
- ^ a b Said, Summer; Jones, Rory (7 August 2024). "Sinwar Power Grab Cements Hamas-Iran Ties". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ a b "Hamas's pick of Yahya Sinwar as leader makes a ceasefire less likely". The Economist. 6 August 2024. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
- ^ a b Abualouf, Rushdi (8 August 2024). "Behind the scenes as Hamas chose its new leader". BBC News. Retrieved 9 August 2024.
- ^ a b "Shadowy Hamas leader in Gaza is at top of Israel's hit list after last month's deadly attack". Associated Press. 22 November 2023. Archived from the original on 23 March 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ a b Vasilyeva, Nataliya (20 November 2023). "Mastermind behind Hamas attacks personally handling hostage negotiations". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 7 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ a b Estrin, Daniel (3 December 2023). "The shadowy Hamas leader behind the war against Israel". NPR. Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Kingsley, Patrick; Barnes, Julian E.; Rasgon, Adam (12 May 2024). "Yahya Sinwar Helped Start the War in Gaza. Now He's Key to Its Endgame". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ Peled, Anat; Lieber, Dov; Keller-Lynn, Carrie; Said, Summer (18 October 2024). "After a Yearlong Hunt, Sinwar's Killing Came Down to Chance". The Wall Street Journal.
- ^ a b Kottasová, Ivana (20 May 2024). "EXCLUSIVE: ICC seeks arrest warrants against Sinwar and Netanyahu for war crimes over October 7 attack and Gaza war". CNN. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ a b Hubbard, Ben (17 October 2024). "Yahya Sinwar, Leader of Hamas in Gaza, Is Dead". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Israel air strikes kill 42 Palestinians, rockets fired from Gaza". Reuters. 15 May 2021. Archived from the original on 23 June 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
- ^ Dalloul, Motasem A. (13 February 2017). "The new leader of Hamas in Gaza is Yahya Al-Sinwar". Middle East Monitor. Archived from the original on 30 May 2024. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- ^ "يحيى السنوار أسير محرر قاد حركة حماس واستشهد في مواجهة مع الاحتلال | الموسوعة | الجزيرة نت".
- ^ a b c نبذة عن حياة الأسير يحيى السنوار مؤسس الجهاز الأمني لحركة المقاومة الإسلامية حماس [About the life of the prisoner Yahya Sinwar founder of the security apparatus of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas] (in Arabic). Palestinian Information Center. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016.
- ^ "Yehya Ibrahim Sinwar". Ezzedeen AL-Qassam Brigades. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016.
- ^ "Muhammad Al-Sanwar, member of the Qassam Brigades' Staff and one of the architects of the "Shalit deal"". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 18 October 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Keay, Lara (9 November 2023). "Who is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar − the 'butcher of Khan Younis' Israel claims to have trapped in a bunker?". Sky News. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
- ^ Squires, Nick (9 October 2023). "Hamas' leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar at the top of Israel's kill list". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Archived from the original on 8 December 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- ^ Hubbard, Ben; Abi-Habib, Maria (8 November 2023). "Behind Hamas's Bloody Gambit to Create a 'Permanent' State of War". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ a b Remnick, David (3 August 2024). "Notes from Underground". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b Levinson, Chaim (8 November 2023). ""חנקתי אותו. הוא הבין שמגיע לו למות": העדויות של יחיא סינוואר כשנחקר בישראל" ["I strangled him. He understood that he deserved to die": Yahya Sinwar's testimony when he was interrogated in Israel]. Haaretz (in Hebrew). Archived from the original on 30 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "איזה תלמיד היה סינוואר? גיליון הציונים של מנהיג חמאס נחשף". Maariv (in Hebrew). 13 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Khalidi, Tarif; et al. (4 February 2024), Leader of the underground tells all, Mondoweiss.
- ^ Muaddi, Qassam (4 February 2024), Israel says it killed Yahya Sinwar as he was fighting the Israeli army, Mondoweiss.
- ^ Lieber, Dov (25 December 2017). "Iran pledging all its might to Hamas for Jerusalem battle, terror group says". The Times Of Israel. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ Surkes, Sue (23 May 2018). "Hamas chief boasts of Tehran's support, close ties to Hezbollah". The Times Of Israel. Archived from the original on 28 December 2023. Retrieved 28 December 2023.
- ^ "Hamas Leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar: We Are Coordinating with Hizbullah, Iran on an Almost Daily Basis". MEMRI. 21 May 2018. Archived from the original on 27 February 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ "Hamas leader's torture tactics revealed in IDF tunnel raid". The Times. 10 March 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
- ^ "Hamas commander accused of gay sex is killed by his own". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 6 April 2024. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Yahya Sinwar will hold sway over Hamas from beyond the grave". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Hamas agrees to steps towards Palestinian unity". Al Jazeera English. 17 September 2017. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
- ^ Halbfinger, David M.; Abuheweila, Iyad (10 May 2018). "As Gaza Teeters on Precipice, a Hamas Leader Speaks Out". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 25 September 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ Almughrabi, Nidal (1 December 2020). Heller, Jeffrey; Richardson, Alex (eds.). "Hamas Gaza chief tests positive for COVID-19, spokesman says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
- ^ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (10 March 2021). "Sinwar re-elected as Hamas chief in Gaza". Reuters.
- ^ Gross, Judah Ari (16 May 2021). "Home of Hamas leader in Gaza said hit by Israeli strike". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ محلل إسرائيلي: أي عار هذا الذي نعيشه.. السنوار تجول في شوارع غزة وتحدى إسرائيل باغتياله ورسائله بكل اتجاه [Israeli analyst: What shame is this what we live in .. Sinwar wandered in the streets of Gaza and challenged Israel by assassinating him and his messages in every direction]. Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 27 May 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Bergman, Ronen; Ragson, Adam; Kingsley, Patrick (12 October 2024). "Secret Documents Show Hamas Tried to Persuade Iran to Join Its Oct. 7 Attack". The New York Times.
- ^ Crisp, James (12 October 2024). "Hamas wanted Iran to join in Oct 7 attack, secret minutes reveal". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
- ^ Camut, Nicolas (16 January 2024). "EU sanctions Hamas' Gaza leader over October 7 attacks on Israel". Politico. Archived from the original on 23 April 2024. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ a b Bronner, Ethan; Meyer, Henry (16 November 2023). "Hamas Mastermind Who Tricked Israel Is Top Target in Gaza Tunnels". Bloomberg News. Archived from the original on 16 November 2023. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
- ^ Harris, Shane (27 February 2024). "Hamas leader hiding in Gaza, but killing him risks hostages, officials say". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ Deshmukh, David Stout and Jay. "Israel Shows Video Of Hamas Chief Sinwar In Gaza Tunnel On Eve Of Oct 7 Attack". Barron's. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "Hamas chief in Gaza says ready for 'immediate' prisoner swap with Israel". Al Arabiya English. 28 October 2023. Archived from the original on 4 November 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
- ^ Harel, Amos; Freidson, Yael (29 November 2023). "'I Asked Him How He Isn't Ashamed': 85-year-old Israeli Hostage Confronted Hamas Chief Sinwar in Gaza Tunnel". Haaretz. Reuters contributed to this report. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
- ^ "Israel Killed Sinwar by Forcing Him From the Tunnels". The Wall Street Journal. 20 October 2024. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
- ^ "Israel says Hamas leader trapped in bunker as its troops battle militant group in Gaza City". CBC. Reuters. 7 November 2023. Archived from the original on 15 December 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
- ^ Stack, Liam; Bayoumy, Yara (7 December 2023). "Israel Focuses on Killing Hamas Leaders in Southern Gaza". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 7 December 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
- ^ "Gallant vows Israel will kill Sinwar, says if Gazans reach him first 'it will shorten the war'". The Times of Israel. 4 November 2023.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel (14 December 2023). "Israel said to place $400,000 bounty on Hamas leader Sinwar". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 30 April 2024. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- ^ Mills, Andrew; Al-Mughrabi, Nidal; Hassan, Ahmed Mohamed; Williams, Dan; Georgy, Michael; Lubell, Maayan; Landay, Jonathan; Lewis, Simon; Daniel, Frank Jack (24 January 2024). Flynn, Daniel (ed.). "One-month Gaza truce focus of intensive talks, sources say". Reuters. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
- ^ Beaumont, Peter; Hamdouna, Nedal Samir (7 February 2024). "'Our last stop is Rafah': trapped Palestinians await Israeli onslaught". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ Fabian, Emanuel (13 February 2024). "IDF airs footage of Sinwar in Khan Younis tunnel: 'The hunt will not stop'". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ Khan, Karim A.A (20 May 2024). "Statement of ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC: Applications for arrest warrants in the situation in the State of Palestine". Archived from the original on 20 May 2024. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
- ^ Said, Summer; Jones, Rory (10 June 2024). "Gaza Chief's Brutal Calculation: Civilian Bloodshed Will Help Hamas". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ Smith, Nicola (11 June 2024). "Hamas leader believes civilian deaths are 'necessary sacrifices' in Israeli war, leaked letters show". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
- ^ Salem, Mostafa; Atwood, Kylie (11 June 2024). "Hamas leader says 'we have the Israelis right where we want them' in leaked messages, WSJ reports". CNN.
- ^ "Hamas denies that Sinwar called Gaza death toll 'necessary sacrifice'". The New Arab. 12 June 2024. Archived from the original on 16 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
- ^ Tucker, Eric (3 September 2024). "US charges Hamas leader, other militants in connection with Oct. 7 massacre in Israel". Associated Press. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "US charges Hamas leaders over Oct. 7 attack on Israel". Reuters. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "Justice Department Announces Terrorism Charges Against Senior Leaders of Hamas". United States Department of Justice. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 3 September 2024.
- ^ "Hamas names Yahya Sinwar as new overall leader". BBC News. Retrieved 8 August 2024.
- ^ "Reports: Hamas chief incommunicado, Israel checking longshot possibility he's dead". The Times of Israel. 23 September 2024.
- ^ Shoval, Lilac (23 September 2024). "IDF assessment: Sinwar alive, using hostages as human shields". Israel Hayom.
- ^ "After speculation he was killed, Sinwar said to renew contact with Qatar". The Times of Israel. 7 October 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2024.
- ^ "Sinwar's fatal mistake: Hamas leader refused Arab offer to escape Gaza- WSJ". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 21 October 2024. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "Sinwar leads Hamas.. heavy slap to Zionist enemy, its allies and its supporters". Yemen News Agency. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Yahya Sinwar / Abu Ibrahim". Global Security. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ Halabi, Einav (2 March 2024). "Pious, loyal and mostly out of view: the woman beside Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar". Ynetnews. Retrieved 13 August 2024.
- ^ "Sinwar's killing is a win for Israel — but many Palestinians are proud of his defiant last stand". NBC News. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Magramo, Kathleen; Edwards, Christian; Powell, Tori B.; Tanno, Sophie; Sangal, Aditi (18 October 2024). "October 18, 2024 news on the wars in the Middle East". CNN. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ a b Da Silva, Chantal (17 October 2024). "Israeli military investigating 'possibility' Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza". NBC News. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "IDF troops were not targeting Sinwar in incident in which he was likely killed". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Middle East crisis live: Israeli army says it is 'checking possibility' it killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar". The Guardian. 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed In Gaza, Israel confirms". CNN. 17 October 2024.
- ^ "How Hamas leader Sinwar was killed: an AK-47, a tactical vest, and who was with him". Türkiye Today. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Borger, Julian (18 October 2024). "Yahya Sinwar's final moments and the Israeli trainees who found him". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ McKernan, Bethan (17 October 2024). "Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in surprise encounter with Israeli forces". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Hamas leader Sinwar – mastermind of 7 October attack – killed in Gaza, Israel says". The Independent. 17 October 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Hamas confirms killing of leader Yahya Sinwar as Biden seeks 'path to peace' – live updates". BBC News. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ "Israeli chief pathologist tells CNN Sinwar killed by bullet to the head". CNN. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ "Update from Aaron Boxerman". The New York Times. 17 October 2024.
- ^ Tamari, Liran (17 October 2024). "Police forensic unit confirms Yahya Sinwar's identity through fingerprints". Ynetnews. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Middle East: Israel says war not over after Sinwar death". Deutsche Welle. 17 October 2024.
- ^ Berman, Lazar (17 October 2024). "PM after Sinwar killing: Those holding hostages will be spared if they lay down arms, release them". The Times of Israel.
- ^ "Hamas confirms leader Yahya Sinwar killed in combat in Gaza by Israeli army". Al Jazeera. 18 October 2024. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
- ^ Staff, Al Jazeera. "'Spirit of resistance': Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "«الشرق الأوسط» تكشف تفاصيل جديدة عن تحركات السنوار خلال الحرب". Asharq al-Awsat. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
External links
Media related to Yahya al-Sinwar at Wikimedia Commons
| History | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Political wing |
| ||||
| Military wing |
| ||||
| Social services | |||||
| Media | |||||
| Foreign relations | |||||
| Related articles | |||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
- 1962 births
- 2024 deaths
- 20th-century Palestinian people
- 21st-century Palestinian politicians
- Assassinated Hamas members
- Deaths by firearm in the Gaza Strip
- Fugitives wanted by the United States
- Fugitives wanted on terrorism charges
- Hamas leaders
- Hamas military members
- Individuals designated as terrorists by the United States government
- Islamic University of Gaza alumni
- Military personnel killed in the Israel–Hamas war
- Palestinian people imprisoned by Israel
- People from Khan Yunis Governorate
- People killed by Israeli security forces
- Politicians from the Gaza Strip
- Quran reciters