Israel officially announced today, Thursday, the killing of the head of the political bureau of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, during clashes in Tal al-Sultan in the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.

So who is Yahya Sinwar? And what was his journey in Hamas?

Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar

Born in October 1962, in Khan Younis camp in the Gaza Strip. He recently held the position of head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip since February 13, 2017.

Sinwar is considered the founder of Hamas's security apparatus (intelligence) known as "Al-Majd" in 1985, which is the body responsible for tracking down Israeli spies.

Sinwar's brother, named Muhammad, is one of the prominent leaders of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.

Yahya Sinwar is regarded as a hawk within Hamas and is the main person responsible for executing the Al-Aqsa Flood operation that shook Israel and the world.

Background and Education

Sinwar's original roots trace back to the town of Majdal Ashkelon inside the Green Line, where his family sought refuge in Khan Younis camp in Gaza after the Nakba.

He moved between schools in Khan Younis camp until he completed his high school education at Khan Younis Secondary School for Boys, then he joined the Islamic University in Gaza, obtaining a bachelor's degree in Arabic language, where he worked in the student council for five years, serving as secretary for the technical and sports committees, deputy president, then president of the council, then again as deputy president.

His marriage was delayed for a long time due to his military activities and lengthy imprisonment, and after his release in 2011, he married Samar Mohamed Abu Zamr Saleha from Gaza City.

Military Training and Imprisonment

Sinwar's first arrest was in 1982, and he was held in administrative detention for four months by Israeli forces.

In 1985, he was arrested again for eight months after being accused of establishing the "Al-Majd" security apparatus.

In 1988, Sinwar was arrested again and sentenced to four life sentences on charges related to establishing the "Al-Majd" apparatus and participating in founding the first military apparatus of the movement, "Palestinian Mujahideen."

Sinwar was released in 2011 during the "Wafa al-Ahrar" deal with more than a thousand Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

His Life in Prison

During his years in prison, Sinwar kept up with Israeli society and regularly followed what was published in the Hebrew media, and he reviewed many studies written in Hebrew that addressed the internal Israeli situation, which greatly reflected on his style and interaction with military and civil institutions and society in Israel.

Sinwar became one of the senior Hamas officials in Israeli prisons, spending hours talking with Israelis, learning their culture, and was a follower of Israeli television channels, as confirmed by a former senior official in the Israeli prison service.

His Journey in the Hamas Movement

After Sinwar was released in the Shalit deal in 2011, he returned to his prominent leadership position in Hamas and as a member of its political bureau.

He served the role of coordinating between Hamas's political bureau and the leadership of the "Izz ad-Din al-Qassam" Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), as a "representative of the brigades" in Hamas's political bureau.

Following the conclusion of the Israeli assault on Gaza in 2014, Sinwar ordered comprehensive investigations and evaluations of the performance of field leadership, resulting in the dismissal of prominent leaders.

The United States listed Sinwar in September 2015 on the "blacklist of international terrorists," alongside two other leaders of Hamas, the commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, and political bureau member, Rouhi Mushtaha.

On February 13, 2017, Yahya Sinwar was elected as head of the political bureau of the movement in the Gaza Strip, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, while Khalil al-Hayya was chosen as his deputy.

Sinwar's selection as president of Hamas in Gaza came from internal elections held within the movement at the various sector levels. The election of the head of the political bureau took place in mid-March 2017, and Ismail Haniyeh was announced as the successor to Khalid Mashal.

The Guardian newspaper stated in an article in 2017 that Sinwar's ascent to the leadership of Hamas would end the internal competition in "Hamas" between the political and military wings and redefine the movement's policy, especially given the challenges facing Gaza.

The British newspaper added that Sinwar's election was a clear signal of prioritizing Gaza, as the man sees the sector as a priority for political and military activity, contrary to the previous approach seeking rapprochement with the leadership of the Palestinian Authority.

In March 2021, he was re-elected for a second term of four years as head of Hamas in Gaza in secret elections, making him the highest-ranking official in Hamas in Gaza.

On May 15, 2021, reports indicated that an Israeli airstrike hit Sinwar's home, and during a press conference, he challenged then Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz, stating that he would return home after the conference "on foot," daring Gantz to make a decision on the assassination, spending the next 60 minutes wandering the streets of Gaza and taking pictures with the public until he arrived at his home.

Three weeks after the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023, Sinwar proposed releasing all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails in exchange for releasing all Israeli prisoners in Gaza.

On Tuesday, August 6, 2024, he was chosen as head of the political bureau in Hamas, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh after consultations following Haniyeh's assassination in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

Al-Aqsa Flood

Israel considers Yahya Sinwar the mastermind behind the "Al-Aqsa Flood" attack on October 7, and he is at the top of the targeted list.

After Hamas announced that Sinwar would assume the leadership of its political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, some Israeli analysts viewed the movement as having "chosen the most dangerous person to lead them."

His Death

On Thursday, October 17, 2024, the Israeli army announced that it was investigating the killing of the leader of Hamas during clashes with forces in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah city, and later the Israeli army radio confirmed the news of Yahya Sinwar's death.

Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the first DNA test had been conducted, confirming that Sinwar was killed in a confrontation in Rafah.