Who is Yahya Sinwar: After the shocking attack by Hamas, the name of the second leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, is once again in discussion. Israeli officials have called Sinwar the "face of evil" and vowed to eliminate him and his activists from Gaza. According to Israeli officials, there is no difference between Sinwar and Osama bin Laden. He says that Sinwar was the mastermind behind the airstrikes on Israel just as bin Laden was behind the 9/11 attacks on America. 1300 Israelis were killed in this attack.
Who is Sinwar?
Born in 1962, Sinwar grew up in the southern Gaza city of Yunis. This area was under Egyptian control at that time. The Israeli army has dubbed him the "Butcher of Khan Yunis". According to reports, Sinwar's family first settled in Ashkelon, now in southern Israel, but were forced to relocate to Gaza after Israel took control of Ashkelon, formerly known as al-Majdal, in 1948. Sinwar holds a bachelor's degree in Arabic studies from the Islamic University of Gaza.
Spent 24 years in prison
Sinwar spent 24 years in an Israeli prison. He was first arrested in 1982 for subversive activities. In the following years, he formed an alliance with Salah Shehadeh to form a unit to target Israeli spies in the Palestinian movement. Shehdeh was killed by Israeli forces in 2002, when he was leading the military wing of Hamas. After the founding of Hamas in 1987, Sinwar became a favorite within Hamas. In 1988, Sinwar was arrested for his role in the killing of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians.
When Israel freed Sinwar from imprisonment
In 2006, a team from the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, used a tunnel to enter Israeli territory and attacked an army post. They killed two Israeli soldiers, wounded many and captured one soldier, Gilad Shalit. Shalit was jailed for five years. He was released in 2011 in a prisoner swap deal. For Shalit's release, Israel released 1,027 Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners. One of them was Sinvar.
He received the Arch of Gaza in 2017
In the years following his release, Sinwar rose through the ranks of Hamas, particularly in its army. In 2015, Sinwar was included in the United States' list of wanted international terrorists. A US State Department document designating Sinwar as a terrorist said he was "known for his role in establishing the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, a precursor to Hamas's army". In 2017, Sinwar was elected head of Hamas in Gaza.
Second prime minister after Haniyeh
Sinwar is number two after Ismail Haniyeh, head of the organization's political bureau under the leadership of Hamas. He has consistently advocated armed conflict against Israel and is against any settlement formula. He is known for his fiery speeches. Reports say he has full allegiance to Hamas. It is also known that Sinwar takes no chances when it comes to keeping tabs on Hamas operatives.
Another face of Osama bin Laden
Israel has accused Sinver of masterminding the attack. "Yahya Sinwar is the face of evil. He is the mastermind behind the airstrikes on Israel, as Osama bin Laden was for 9/11," Israel Defense Forces Lt. Col. Richard Hatch told reporters on Saturday.
