After 24 Years In Israel Jail, He Went On To Lead Hamas Attacks

As Israel preps for a ground offensive in Gaza Strip, a spokesperson for the forces has said Yahya Sinwar and his team "are in our sights".

New Delhi: 

In the week since Hamas' shocking attack on Israel cities, the name Yahya Sinwar has been making the rounds. Israeli authorities have referred to Sinwar as the "face of evil" and accused him of masterminding the attacks that left 1,300 Israelis dead.

As Israel preps for a ground offensive in Gaza Strip, a spokesperson for the forces has said Sinwar and his team "are in our sights".

The Beginning

Born in 1962, Sinwar grew up at Khan Younis city in south Gaza, then under Egypt's control. Israeli forces refer to him as the "butcher of Khan Younis" after his hometown. According to reports, Sinwar's family was earlier settled in Ashkelon, now in south Israel, but had to move to Gaza in 1948 after Israel took control of Ashkelon, earlier known as al-Majdal. Sinwar holds a bachelor's degree in Arabic studies from Islamic University in Gaza.

The Prison Years

Sinwar has spent a total of about 24 years in prison. He was first arrested in 1982 for subversive activities. In the years that followed, he tied up with Salah Shehade to form a unit that targeted Israel's spies within the Palestinian movement. Shehade was gunned down by Israel forces in 2002, when he headed Hamas' military wing.

After Hamas was founded in 1987, the unit Sinwar co-founded became a consolidated arm within the organisation. In 1988, Sinwar was arrested for his role in the murder of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians he suspected of working for Israel. The next year, he was sentenced to four life sentences.

The Release

In 2006, a team from Hamas' military wing Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades used a tunnel to cross into Israel territory and attacked an Army post. They killed two Israeli soldiers, wounded as many and captured one soldier, Gilad Shalit. Shalit was in captivity for five years. He was freed in 2011 in a prisoner swap deal. For Shalit's release, Israel freed 1.027 Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners. One of them was Sinwar. He had spent 22 years in prison.

The Rise

In the years after his release, Sinwar rose through the ranks of Hamas, particularly within its military wing. In 2015, Sinwar entered the US' list of wanted international terrorists. A US Department of State document, announcing Sinwar's designation as terrorist, says he is "known for his role in founding the forerunner of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas". In 2017, Sinwar was elected as the head of Hamas in Gaza.

Ruler of Gaza

Sinwar is Number 2 in the Hamas leadership after Ismail Haniyeh, head of the organisation's political bureau. With Haniyeh living in voluntary exile, Sinwar is the de facto rule of Gaza. He has consistently advocated armed struggle against Israel and has been against any compromise formula. He is known for his fiery speeches, and reports say he commands the absolute loyalty of the Hamas ranks. Sinwar is also known to take no chances when it comes to keeping Hamas operatives under watch.

One example was the killing of Hamas commander Mahmoud Ishtiwi. Ishtiwi was accused of embezzlement in 2015. The next year, he was executed and later accused of "moral crimes". Reports said Ishtiwi was a homosexual, and Mr Sinwar feared this could lead to extortion and compromise Hamas.

2023 Israel Attacks

Israel has accused Sinwar of masterminding the attacks on Israeli cities last weekend. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Lt. Col. Richard Hecht told journalists Saturday, "Yahya Sinwar is the face of evil. He is the mastermind behind this, like [Osama] bin Laden was (for 9/11)."

"He built his career on murdering Palestinians when he understood they were collaborators. That's how he became known as the butcher of Khan Younis," Hecht added. The defence spokesperson said Israel will not spare Sinwar. "That man and his whole team are in our sights. We will get to that man," he said, adding, "This could be [a] long [campaign]."