Israel Announces Killing of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar
Israel announced on Thursday, October 17, 2024, that it had successfully killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar, 62, rose to power in the Gaza Strip after being released from Israeli prisons in 2011. Following the assassination of Hamas’ political bureau chief Ismail Haniye in Tehran on July 31, Sinwar was elected as the leader of Hamas.
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis Refugee Camp in the south of the Gaza Strip, Sinwar’s parents were originally from Ashkelon. His family was among the many Palestinians forcibly deported to Gaza during the establishment of Israel, marking what Palestinians refer to as the ‘Nakba’ or ‘Catastrophe’ – a mass expulsion of Palestinians from their lands during the Arab-Israeli war in 1948.
Sinwar, who graduated from Gaza Islamic University with a bachelor’s degree in Arabic language, spent many years detained and imprisoned by Israel. His longest detention lasted 23 years, finally being released in 2011 in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalid. During his time in prison, Sinwar honed his Hebrew skills by reading Israeli newspapers, eventually becoming fluent in the language.
Returning to Gaza upon his release, Sinwar effectively governed the 41-kilometer-long Mediterranean coastline until his death.
Described by Israel as the mastermind behind the October 7 raid, Sinwar was relentlessly sought after for over a year with the support of the USA. Despite numerous attempts, it wasn’t until a chance encounter with an Israeli occupation patrol in Rafah that Sinwar was located. A drone pinpointed his location in a building, which was subsequently struck by tank fire.
While Hamas has yet to officially confirm Sinwar’s death, Israeli authorities claim his identity was confirmed through DNA testing. An image from the scene showed a gun handle next to Sinwar’s body, believed to be the same gun he brandished at a rally in 2018.
Analysts are speculating that Hamas may choose to keep their new leader hidden, as Israel has a history of assassinating Palestinian leaders and even concealing the identity of Hamas leaders in the past.
World leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden, applauded the successful operation. Biden praised the killing of Sinwar as “a good day for the world” and confirmed that the US provided intelligence support to Israel. In contrast, Iran stated that Sinwar’s death would only strengthen the spirit of resistance.
With reactions pouring in from around the world, the Gaza Strip braces for potential changes in leadership as the region navigates through this tumultuous time.
