In his article published on the Maariv website, Moshe Fogelov addresses the behaviour of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and asserts that the concentration of power under Sinwar – following his appointment as the successor to Ismail Haniyeh – will lead to his downfall and help Israel eliminate him.
Fogelov claims that “Yahya Sinwar is a person with grandiose narcissistic traits, a messianic figure in the style of Sayyid Qutb, the most extreme among the students of Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood. Sinwar’s power and fear factor stem from his brutal interrogations of suspects in collaboration with Israel.”
Fogelov argues that “as the pressure on him as the sole leader increases, he will revert to his basic tools – rigidity and cruelty, interrogations, and executions of suspects in collaboration – the vast majority of whom are innocent. This process will erode him from within and will bring about his downfall.” The former official explains that “when the sense of security and trust among those around him is damaged by fear of his wrath, it will undermine the basis of his power.”
He further estimates that “the day when the IDF’s hand reaches him is not far off. Ultimately, dealing with Sinwar is not only a military struggle but also a battle for awareness and legitimacy. The more we succeed in exposing the truth behind his destructive leadership, the closer we will get to the day when Gaza’s residents themselves understand that Sinwar’s path leads only to disaster. We just need one of them, at the right place and time, to choose a different path. From my knowledge of Shin Bet’s HUMINT experts, I am confident they will find him.”