Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be a key architect of the October 7, 2023, terror attack, has been killed in Gaza, according to the Israeli military.
Sinwar was among Israel’s most wanted men, labeled by officials as the “face of evil” and “the butcher from Khan Younis.”
Once a prominent public figure, he had not been seen since the attacks, likely hiding in a vast network of underground tunnels during Israel’s siege of Gaza.
In August, Sinwar became one of Hamas’ top leaders after the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran.
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He had long been an influential figure within Hamas, joining the group in the late 1980s and quickly rising through its ranks.
Sinwar founded Hamas’ intelligence branch, Majd, known for its brutal tactics against suspected collaborators with Israel, and was later elected as the political chief of Hamas’ Politburo in Gaza.
Born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis in 1962, Sinwar’s family was displaced during the Arab-Israeli war.
He studied at the Islamic University in Gaza and became involved in Palestinian nationalist movements.
Sinwar was imprisoned in Israel in 1988 for orchestrating attacks against soldiers and suspected informants, serving multiple life sentences.
During his incarceration, he studied Hebrew and became adept at understanding Israeli perspectives.
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Sinwar was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange involving Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
His return to Gaza marked the beginning of his rise within Hamas, where he became notorious for his violent reprisals against collaborators.
While viewed by some as a hardliner, others saw him as a strategic thinker, advocating for a truce with Israel in media interviews.
Under his leadership, Hamas launched the “March of Return” campaign in 2018, which drew international attention to the plight of Palestinians in Gaza.
Sinwar also worked to strengthen Hamas’ ties with regional powers, including Egypt and Iran.
Israel has accused Sinwar of masterminding the October 7 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 hostages.
He played a critical role in negotiations for the hostages taken during the assault and consolidated his power within Hamas during the ensuing conflict, particularly after the deaths of other senior officials.
Sinwar has been designated a global terrorist by the US State Department and the European Union, with sanctions imposed by the UK and France in recent years.
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