Who is Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas Chief killed by Israel Defense Forces?
Israel on Thursday announced that it had confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the chief of the Palestinian military group Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Sinwar was killed in an airstrike in Tal El Sultan, in southern Gaza, on Wednesday.?Earlier, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which acknowledged the airstrike, had said it did not have confirmation of Sinwar's death.??
Yahya Sinwar was born in a refugee camp??
The 61-year-old Sinwar was the chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau and the outfit's leader in the Gaza Strip.??
Sinwar was born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp to Palestinian parents who fled Majdal Asqalan during the 1948 Arab每Israeli War.??
Butcher of Khan Younis??
He rose to prominence within the Hamas ranks in the late 80s and was even called 'the Butcher of Khan Younis'. This was a reference to the 1988 abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians suspected of working with Israel. In 1988, Sinwar was sentenced to four life sentences. However, in 2011, after serving 22 years in jail, Sinwar was released along with 1,026 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit, an IDF soldier who was taken captive by militants in 2006.??
Rise to Hamas leadership
Sinwar, who returned to Gaza to a hero's welcome, was appointed as the Defence Minister of Hamas, and in 2017, was elected its leader in the Gaza Strip.??
In July 2024, following the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar was appointed the new leader of Hamas and chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, two positions he held until his death.??
War will continue: Netanyahu
According to Israel, Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack that killed hundreds of Israeli civilians. Over 200 Israeli civilians were also taken hostage by Hamas that day, of which over 100 still remain in captivity. Israeli PM Netanyahu, while confirming Sinwar's death, said the war in Gaza will continue until the hostages are freed.
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