Sinwar, who was responsible for the deadly terror attack on October 7, 2023, had a long journey - from a poor refugee camp in Gaza, through years of imprisonment in Israeli jail, to leading the political and military wings of Hamas. Now, Israel assesses with high probability that he has been eliminated, a step that could bring significant change to the conflict with Hamas.
Early days and involvement in Hamas:
Yahya Sinwar, known as "Abu Ibrahim", was born in October 1962 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, the same place where Mohammed Deif grew up. His family moved from the Ashkelon area to the Gaza Strip following the wars, which influenced his decision to join Hamas. He was greatly influenced by the organization's leader Ahmed Yassin.
In his early days, Sinwar was involved in founding Hamas in 1987 and became a central figure in the organization's security wing, responsible for hunting collaborators with Israel.
Sinwar personally carried out executions of more than ten Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. As a result of his actions, he was arrested in 1989 and sentenced to five life sentences. Among the prisoners, he earned the nickname "the Butcher of Khan Yunis" as a result of his displayed cruelty.
From prison to the Shalit deal:
During his imprisonment, he underwent surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from his head. He never thanked those who saved his life.
During his years behind bars, he learned to speak fluent Hebrew, engaged in academic studies, and translated autobiographies of senior Shin Bet officials into Hebrew. He also wrote a book called "The Thorn and the Nail," describing the experiences of a Gazan boy under 'occupation'.
He tried to escape from prison several times, but these attempts were thwarted.
Sinwar was released from prison in the Shalit deal in 2011. After his release, Sinwar quickly gained power and influence. In 2017, he was elected to lead Hamas in Gaza, becoming the strongest figure in the organization.
About a year later, he initiated a series of confrontations between Hamas supporters and Israeli soldiers on the Gaza border. He also managed to sideline the leadership abroad and turn Gaza into Hamas's power center. Only recently, he was appointed head of the organization's political bureau, replacing Ismail Haniyeh.
Sinwar not only managed to reach the top of the organization but also planned the deadly terror attack on October 7, which was one of the deadliest attacks against Israel in recent decades.
Since the deadly attack, the IDF and Shin Bet placed Sinwar at the top of their elimination list. During the ground operation in Gaza, footage was captured of Sinwar with his family, fleeing from the tunnel shortly before the IDF reached it.
According to the New York Times, for the past three years, Sinwar has been engaged in executing a plan that would 'put Israel to sleep' and allow the October 7 massacre. He hoped that after Hamas's actions in the Gaza envelope, Iran and Hezbollah would join the fight and bring about the end of the State of Israel.
His plans for the attack were revealed through documents found in the tunnel from which he escaped. Yesterday (Wednesday) IDF forces were operating in Gaza and suspected there were terrorists hiding in a building there. A tank opened fire on the building and three terrorists were killed. Initial forensic investigations have showed that Sinwar was one of the terrorists who were eliminated, however final confirmation has not been provided yet.
Channel 14 News and Kann News contributed to this article.