October 17th 2024.
Yahya Sinwar, the 61-year-old leader of Hamas, was at the center of a shocking attack on Israel that sent shockwaves through the world. The consequences of this attack continue to unfold, with no end in sight. In Gaza, Sinwar was a dominant figure who played a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of the war. He was known for his obsessive, disciplined, and dictatorial approach, and was a veteran militant who had spent years in Israeli prisons. Sinwar had even learned Hebrew in order to better understand his enemy.
On Thursday, rumors began circulating that Sinwar had been killed by Israeli troops in Gaza. However, there was no immediate confirmation from Hamas about his alleged death. This secretive figure, who was feared by both sides, had orchestrated the surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Along with the shadowy Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas' armed wing, Sinwar had engineered the attack that caught Israel's military and intelligence establishment off guard. This resulted in the deaths of around 1200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 others. The attack shattered the image of Israeli invincibility and marked a turning point in the conflict.
In the aftermath of the attack, Israel's retaliation was swift and devastating. The ongoing conflict has claimed the lives of over 42,000 Palestinians and caused widespread destruction in Gaza. Hundreds of thousands of people have been left without homes and are on the brink of starvation. Sinwar, who had been in hiding in Gaza, had also held indirect negotiations with Israel in an attempt to end the war. One of his goals was to secure the release of thousands of Palestinians who were being held in Israeli jails, similar to the deal that had secured his own release over a decade ago.
Sinwar was also known for his efforts to strengthen Hamas' relationships with its allies, particularly Iran. However, the war he had ignited also drew in Hezbollah, leading to another Israeli invasion of Lebanon. This, in turn, resulted in direct exchanges of fire between Iran and Israel, raising fears of an even larger conflict.
To Israelis, Sinwar was a nightmarish figure. Israeli army spokesperson, Rear-Admiral Daniel Hagari, described him as a murderer who had proven that Hamas was even worse than ISIS. Sinwar's defiant demeanor was evident in his public speeches, where he would often challenge Israel to assassinate him. In one memorable instance, he had stated that he would walk back home after a meeting, and had done just that, even stopping to take selfies with people along the way.
Among Palestinians, Sinwar was respected for his unwavering stance against Israel and his decision to remain in impoverished Gaza, in contrast to other Hamas leaders who lived more comfortably abroad. However, he was also deeply feared for his iron grip on Gaza and his suppression of any public dissent.
In contrast to other Hamas leaders who cultivated a media-friendly image, Sinwar never sought to build a public persona. He was known as the "Butcher of Khan Younis" due to his brutal treatment of Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. Born in 1962 in Gaza's Khan Younis refugee camp, Sinwar was part of a family that had been displaced during the 1948 war. He had joined Hamas in 1987, when Gaza was under Israeli occupation.
Sinwar's leadership skills were evident even in his early years with Hamas. He had convinced the group's founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, that in order to succeed as a resistance organization, Hamas needed to purge itself of informants for Israel. They had formed a security arm, which Sinwar had led. However, he was eventually arrested by Israel in the late 1980s, and during interrogation, he had confessed to killing 12 suspected collaborators. He was later sentenced to four life terms for his involvement in various offenses, including the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers.
One of the Israeli officials who had interrogated Sinwar, Michael Koubi, recalled the most chilling confession he had heard from Sinwar. According to Koubi, Sinwar had recounted forcing a man to bury his own brother alive because he was suspected of working for Israel. However, to his fellow prisoners, Sinwar was known for his charisma, sociability, and shrewdness, and he had formed friendships with detainees from all political factions.
During his time in prison, Sinwar had become the leader of the hundreds of imprisoned Hamas members. He had organized strikes to improve conditions and had taken the opportunity to learn Hebrew and study Israeli society. He was also known for his acts of kindness, such as feeding his fellow inmates and making a popular Palestinian dessert, kunafa.
Sinwar had also written a 240-page novel during his time in detention, titled Thistle and the Cloves. The novel chronicled Palestinian society from the 1967 Middle Eastern war until 2000, when the second intifada began. In the opening of the novel, Sinwar had stated that it was not a personal story but rather a collection of true events.
In 2008, Sinwar had survived an aggressive form of brain cancer after receiving treatment at a Tel Aviv hospital. He was released in 2011, along with about 1000 other prisoners, in exchange for Gilad Schalit, an Israeli soldier who had been captured by Hamas. However, the decision to release Sinwar and other prisoners had sparked criticism, as many of them had been involved in deadly attacks.
Upon his return to Gaza, Sinwar had continued to work closely with Hamas' political leadership and its military wing, the Qassam Brigades. He had also gained a reputation for his ruthless tactics. He was believed to be behind the unprecedented killing of another top Hamas commander, Mahmoud Ishtewi, in an internal power struggle in 2016. He had also gotten married after his release.
In 2017, Sinwar was elected as the head of Hamas' political bureau in Gaza. He had worked closely with Ismail Haniyeh to strengthen the group's alliances, particularly with Iran and its allies, such as Hezbollah. He had also focused on building Hamas' military power.
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