Yahya Sinwar

Yahya Sinwar
يحيى السنوار
Sinwar in 2013
Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip[1]
Assumed office
13 February 2017
Prime Minister
LeaderIsmail Haniyeh
Preceded byIsmail Haniyeh
Personal details
Born (1962-10-29) 29 October 1962 (age 61)
Khan Younis, Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip
Political partyHamas
Residence(s)Khan Younis, Khan Younis Governorate, Gaza Strip, State of Palestine[2]
EducationIslamic University of Gaza

Yahya Sinwar (Arabic: يحيى السنوار, romanized: Yaḥyá al-Sanwār, born October 29 1962), also spelled Yehya Sinwar,[3] is a Palestinian politician who has been leader of Hamas, the Sunni Islamist political and military organization that rules the Gaza Strip, since 2017.[4][5]

He was born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Egyptian-ruled Gaza in 1962 to a family who had been expelled or fled from Ashkelon during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War.[6] He finished his studies at the Islamic University of Gaza where he received a bachelor's degree in Arabic Studies.[7]

For orchestrating the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians he considered to be collaborators in 1989, he was sentenced to four life sentences by Israel, of which he served 22 years until his release among 1,026 others in a 2011 prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.[4] Sinwar was one of the co-founders of the security apparatus of Hamas.[8][9][10][11] In 2017, he was elected the leader of Hamas, and claimed to pursue "peaceful, popular resistance" to the Israeli occupation the following year, a position which was later abandoned.[12] He was re-elected as the leader of Hamas in 2021, and was subject to an assassination attempt by Israel that year.

In September 2015, Sinwar was designated a terrorist by the United States government,[8] and Hamas and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades have also been designated terrorist organisations by the United States, the European Union and other countries. Sinwar is regarded as the mastermind behind the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023.[13][14][15]

Early life and education

Sinwar was born Yahya Ibrahim Hassan al-Sinwar in 1962, in the Khan Yunis refugee camp, when the Gaza Strip was under Egyptian rule, where he spent his early years. His family were expelled or fled from Al-Majdal Asqalan (Ashkelon) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and sought refuge in the Gaza Strip. 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.[16][17] His younger brother is Mohammed Sinwar, who is a military leader in Hamas.

Early career

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.[16] Arrested again in 1985,[5] upon his release he together with Rawhi Mushtaha co-founded the Munazzamat al Jihad w’al-Dawa (Majd), an organization that worked, among others, to identify collaborators with Israel among the Palestinian population,[4] which in 1987 became the "police" of Hamas.[16]

Sinwar's killing of suspected collaborators with Israel gained him the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Yunis".[18][19][20]

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 two of the victims, inadvertently killing another during a violent interrogation, and accidentally shooting the fourth during an attempted abduction, and showed investigators an orchard where the four bodies were buried.[21] He was sentenced to four life sentences in 1989.[5][8] He tried to escape several times but was always caught.

In 2008, while serving a prison sentence, he was operated on by Israeli doctors[22] to remove a tumor in his brain to save his life.[17][23][24] Sinwar served 22 years of his sentence, and was the most senior Palestinian prisoner freed among 1,026 others in a 2011 prisoner exchange for IDF soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been held hostage by Hamas for five years.[4][25]

In November 2012, during the 2012 Israeli operation in the Gaza Strip, Sinwar met Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force General Qassem Soleimani in Tehran[26] and after his 2017 election as the group's leader in Gaza he cultivated closer cooperation between Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran.[27][28] In 2015, he is believed to have overseen the torture and execution of fellow Hamas commander Mahmoud Ishtiwi, who was accused of embezzlement and homosexuality.[18] Ishtwi was reportedly whipped, suspended from a ceiling for hours across multiple days, and ultimately killed by being shot with three bullets to the chest. [29]

Leadership of Hamas in the Gaza Strip (2017–present)

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, which meant that he opposed any power sharing with the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah. Sinwar rejects any reconciliation with Israel.[4] He has called on militants to capture more Israeli soldiers.[8] 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.[30] More recently he has silenced hard-line voices in Gaza, ordering against the use of tunnels that Muhammad Deif wanted to use to sneak fighters into Israel before they were shut down by new classified Israeli technology in 2017.[12]

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.[12] A week earlier he had encouraged Gazans to breach the Israeli siege, 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."[31]

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."[32]

In March 2021, he was elected to a second four-year term as the head of Hamas Gaza branch in an election held in secret. He is the highest-ranking Hamas official in Gaza and Gaza's de facto ruler, as well as the second most powerful member of Hamas after Haniyeh.[33]

On 15 May 2021, an Israeli airstrike was reported to have hit the home of the Hamas leader; there were no immediate details of any deaths or injured. The strike took place in the Khan Yunis region of southern Gaza in the midst of evergrowing tension between Israelis and Palestinians.[34] However, in the week that followed, he appeared publicly at least four times. The most obvious and daring thereof was in a press conference on 27 May 2021, when he mentioned (on air) that he will go home after the press conference (on foot), and invited the Israeli Minister of defense to take the decision to assassinate him in the following 60 minutes, until he reaches his home. Sinwar spent the next hour wandering in Gaza streets and having selfie photos with the public.[35]

2023 Israel–Hamas war

Sinwar—along with Mohammed Deif—is regarded as the mastermind behind the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, the deadliest attack in Israeli history.[13][14][15] 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[36] and became a top target for assassination by the Israeli military.[37] Israeli intelligence presumes Sinwar is hiding in a complex system of tunnels beneath Gaza and is surrounded by hostages acting as human shields.[38]

After three weeks of conflict in the 2023 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.[39][40] Sinwar reportedly visited the hostages in the early days of the war promising they would not be harmed.[41] When one of the hostages, Yocheved Lifshitz, said Sinwar should be ashamed of himself, he was silent.[41]

On November 7, after Israel had surrounded Gaza City, it claimed it had "trapped" Sinwar in a bunker there.[42] Israeli military authorities later claimed he is in Khan Yunis in an underground bunker.[43] Leaflets allegedly dropped by Israel into Gaza proclaimed a bounty of $400,000 for providing information on Sinwar's location.[44] According to Reuters, Israel is demanding the exile of Sinwar, Deif, and four other Hamas leaders from Gaza as a condition for a ceasefire.[45]

By February 2024 the IDF believed that Sinwar had moved to Rafah from Khan Younis. According to the IDF, Sinwar is constantly on the move and thus is unable to personally command Hamas forces.[46] On 13 February 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. IDF stated that they are collecting intelligence and interrogating Hamas commanders and their relatives to find Sinwar.[47]

References

  1. ^ "Israeli occupation's threats against Hamas officials reflect political impasse". Hamas. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  2. ^ Sabbagh, Dan (26 November 2023). "IDF messaging suggests Gaza truce unlikely to last much beyond Tuesday". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Israel air strikes kill 42 Palestinians, rockets fired from Gaza". Reuters. 15 May 2021.
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ "Yahya Sinwar | Hamas Leader, Biography, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 28 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  7. ^ "Who is the Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar?". BBC News. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif". United States Department of State. 8 September 2015.
  9. ^ "The Palestinians try to reconcile". The Economist. 5 October 2017.
  10. ^ Kottasová, Ivana; Shortell, David (7 December 2023). "Who is Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader Israel has called a 'dead man walking'". CNN. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  11. ^ 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.
  12. ^ a b c "The leader of Hamas in Gaza is the most influential man in Palestine". The Economist. 26 May 2018.
  13. ^ a b "Shadowy Hamas leader in Gaza is at top of Israel's hit list after last month's deadly attack". AP News. 22 November 2023. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  14. ^ a b Vasilyeva, Nataliya (20 November 2023). "Mastermind behind Hamas attacks personally handling hostage negotiations". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b Estrin, Daniel (3 December 2023). "The shadowy Hamas leader behind the war against Israel". NPR.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ a b "Yehya Ibrahim Sinwar". Ezzedeen AL-Qassam Brigades. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016.
  18. ^ a b 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. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  19. ^ Squires, Nick (9 October 2023). "Hamas' leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar at the top of Israel's kill list". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
  20. ^ 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. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  21. ^ 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.
  22. ^ Nathan Rennolds (22 October 2023). "Hamas Mastermind of Terror Attacks Had Life-Saving Brain Op in Israel: Reports". businessinsider.com. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  23. ^ قائد حماس بالسجون يحيى السنوار... خطط للهرب اكثر من مرة وعوقب بالعزل [Imprisoned Hamas leader Yehia Sinwar ... planned to escape more than once and was punished with solitary]. Maan News Agency. 19 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017.
  24. ^ Lieber, Dov (11 May 2017). "We saved the life of Hamas's Gaza leader, says Israel's ex-prison chief, dismissing strikers' complaints". Times of Israel.
  25. ^ "Hamas leader tests positive for coronavirus". TV7 Israel News, editorial. 2 December 2020.
  26. ^ Lieber, Dov (25 December 2017). "Iran pledging all its might to Hamas for Jerusalem battle, terror group says". The Times Of Israel.
  27. ^ Surkes, Sue (23 May 2018). "Hamas chief boasts of Tehran's support, close ties to Hezbollah". The Times Of Israel.
  28. ^ "Hamas Leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar: We Are Coordinating with Hizbullah, Iran on an Almost Daily Basis". memri.org. 21 May 2018. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  29. ^ "Hamas commander accused of gay sex is killed by his own". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
  30. ^ "Hamas agrees to steps towards Palestinian unity". Al Jazeera. 17 September 2017. Retrieved 26 March 2024.
  31. ^ Halbfinger, David M.; Abuheweila, Iyad (10 May 2018). "As Gaza Teeters on Precipice, a Hamas Leader Speaks Out". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
  32. ^ Almughrabi, Nidal (1 December 2020). Heller, Jeffrey; Ricahrdson, Alex (eds.). "Hamas Gaza chief tests positive for COVID-19, spokesman says". Reuters. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  33. ^ "Yahya Sinwar". jewishvirtuallibrary.org. Retrieved 15 May 2021.
  34. ^ Gross, Judah Ari (16 May 2021). "Home of Hamas leader in Gaza said hit by Israeli strike". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  35. ^ 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]. Aljazeera.net. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  36. ^ Camut, Nicolas (16 January 2024). "EU sanctions Hamas' Gaza leader over October 7 attacks on Israel". POLITICO. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  37. ^ Bronner, Ethan (16 November 2023). "Hamas Chief Who Deceived Israel Is Target No. 1 Deep Underground". Bloomberg. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  38. ^ Harris, Shane (27 February 2024). "Hamas leader hiding in Gaza, but killing him risks hostages, officials say". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
  39. ^ "Hamas chief in Gaza says ready for 'immediate' prisoner swap with Israel". Al Arabiya English. 28 October 2023. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
  40. ^ Bronner, Ethan; Meyer, Henry (16 November 2023). "Hamas Mastermind Who Tricked Israel Is Top Target in Gaza Tunnels". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 26 November 2023.
  41. ^ a b 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.
  42. ^ "Israel says Hamas leader trapped in bunker as its troops battle militant group in Gaza City". [[|Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]. Thomson Reuters With files from CBC News. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  43. ^ Stack, Liam; Bayoumy, Yara (7 December 2023). "Israel Focuses on Killing Hamas Leaders in Southern Gaza". The New York Times.
  44. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (14 December 2023). "Israel said to place $400,000 bounty on Hamas leader Sinwar". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
  45. ^ 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.
  46. ^ Beaumont, Peter; Hamdouna, Nedal Samir (7 February 2024). "'Our last stop is Rafah': trapped Palestinians await Israeli onslaught". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  47. ^ Fabian, Emanuel (13 February 2024). "IDF airs footage of Sinwar in Khan Younis tunnel: 'The hunt will not stop'". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
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