Srinagar | WTNS | Agha Syed Amin Musvi | Oct 20:The leadership of Hamas, the Palestinian resistance movement, has long been in the spotlight, especially in times of heightened conflict between Israel and Palestine. Among its leaders, Yahya Sinwar has emerged as a significant figure, shaping the movement’s ideological trajectory and strategies. On October 16, 2024, Israel claimed it had killed Sinwar during fierce combat in Rafah, Gaza. Sinwar, the head of Hamas’ political bureau in Gaza, had reportedly died “a martyr” after engaging in combat with Israeli forces, according to Hamas.
The death of Sinwar marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly in the wake of the Al-Aqsa Operation and Israel’s brutal military campaign in Gaza. But who exactly was Yahya Sinwar, and how did he rise to become one of the most influential and controversial leaders within Hamas?
Sinwar once quoted Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib: “There are two days in human life, a day when death is not your destiny, and a day when death is your destiny. I am not afraid of the first day because death is not my destiny, so no one can harm me. I am not afraid of the second day either, because if it is my destiny, I cannot prevent it.”
A Life Forged In Resistance
Born in the Khan Younis refugee camp on October 29, 1962, Yahya Sinwar’s life was shaped by the harsh realities of displacement and occupation. His parents were among the many Palestinians ethnically cleansed from Majdal-Askalan (now Ashkelon) during the 1948 Nakba, a traumatic event that laid the foundation for his lifelong resistance against Israel’s occupation. The occupation of Gaza in 1967 only compounded these experiences, leaving Sinwar with a deep-seated resolve to oppose Israeli control.
According to his father, Sinwar’s childhood was marked by “agony due to Zionist aggression,” fostering an early determination to resist. This determination found an outlet in his academic pursuits, where he quickly emerged as a high-performing student. After completing school, he attended the Islamic University in Gaza, where he co-founded the Islamic Bloc, a student movement tied to the Muslim Brotherhood. His activism soon earned him positions in the university’s student council, setting the stage for his future leadership roles.
Arrest & Activism
In 1982, Sinwar’s path took a decisive turn. Along with other student activists, he traveled to Jenin to visit Palestinian women who were allegedly poisoned by Israeli forces. This act of solidarity led to his first significant confrontation with Israeli authorities. Arrested and held in administrative detention for six months, Sinwar was accused of participating in subversive Islamist activities. It was during this time that he established connections with other prominent activists, including Saleh Shehade, the future leader of Hamas’ armed wing.
Upon his release, Sinwar’s commitment to the cause of Palestinian resistance only deepened. He became instrumental in forming a clandestine security network called Majd, which operated in secret under the Muslim Brotherhood. At the time, the Brotherhood’s Palestinian arm, known as the Mujamma Islamiyya, had not yet fully committed to armed resistance, but that would soon change.
The Birth of Hamas
In late 1987, as the First Intifada erupted across the Palestinian territories, Hamas emerged as the militant arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, advocating for armed resistance against Israeli occupation. Sinwar, who had already been operating in the shadows, played a crucial role in this transformation. His involvement with Majd was soon uncovered by Israeli intelligence, leading to his arrest in 1988. After weeks of alleged torture, he was convicted for orchestrating Hamas’ first significant armed attack, which resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers. Sentenced to 426 years in prison, Sinwar became a symbol of Palestinian resistance while behind bars.
A Political Comeback
Yahya Sinwar’s political career took a new direction in 2011, when he was released in a high-profile prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel. As the most senior Hamas leader freed in the exchange, Sinwar’s return to Gaza was met with widespread acclaim, particularly among those who supported Hamas’ militant stance. His rise through the ranks culminated in his election as Hamas’ leader in Gaza in 2017, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh.
Under Sinwar’s leadership, Hamas made significant strategic shifts. In 2017, the movement issued a revised political charter, indicating a willingness to accept a Two-State Solution—a notable departure from its original stance. Despite this, Sinwar remained a hardliner, advocating for continued resistance against Israeli occupation while simultaneously attempting to reconcile with the Palestinian Authority (PA). These efforts, however, were largely unsuccessful.(WTNS)
