Overview

Yahya Sinwar was an internationally designated senior Hamas leader with ties to the group’s political and military wings.“Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif,” U.S. Department of State, September 8, 2015, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/266520.htm;
Avi Issacharoff, “Top Hamas officer rumored killed by IDF,” Times of Israel, July 23, 2014, http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-hamas-officer-rumored-killed-by-idf/. In February 2017 internal elections, Hamas elected Sinwar as its political chief in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar replaced deputy Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, who replaced outgoing Qatar-based leader Khaled Meshaal in May 2017.Fares Akram, “Hamas names shadowy militant as new leader in Gaza,” Associated Press, February 13, 2017, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9854bb8c51b14fe29f52fb943c07c14a/hamas-names-top-militant-new-leader-gaza;
Rory Jones, “Hamas Puts Militant Yahya Sinwar in Charge of Gaza,” Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2017, https://www.wsj.com/articles/hamas-puts-militant-yahya-sinwar-in-charge-of-gaza-1487001168;
“Ismail Haniyeh elected new political head of Hamas,” Times of Israel, May 6, 2017, https://www.timesofisrael.com/ismail-haniyeh-elected-new-head-of-hamas/. Sinwar was a founding member of the forerunner of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.“Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif,” U.S. Department of State, September 8, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/246686.htm. He also founded Hamas’s Majd intelligence service, which targets alleged collaborators with Israel.Dov Lieber, “Hamas elects convicted murderer Yahya Sinwar as Gaza chief,” Times of Israel, February 13, 2017, http://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-elects-hardliner-yahya-sinwar-as-gaza-chief/;
“Yahya Sinwar elected as new head of Hamas politburo in Gaza,” Ma’an News Agency, last updated February 14, 2017, https://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=775451. Sinwar won re-election as Gaza’s political leader on March 10, 2021.Nidal al-Mughrabi, “Sinwar re-elected as Hamas chief in Gaza,” Reuters, March 10, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2B2259. Sinwar was accused of helping to orchestrate Hamas’s widescale attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of at least 1,200 people and the capture of approximately 240 civilian and military hostages.Summer Goodkind, “Top Hamas military commander claims October 7 attacks were never meant to target Israeli civilians as he breaks ranks to criticise terror group’s leaders ‘who changed the plan last-minute’ in extraordinary intervention,” Daily Mail (London), November 5, 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12712397/Top-Hamas-military-commander-claims-October-7-attacks-never-meant-target-Israeli-civilians-breaks-ranks-criticise-terror-groups-exiled-leaders-changed-plan-minute-extraordinary-intervention.html; “Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to ‘around 1,200,’” Reuters, November 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/. Israeli leaders vowed to kill Sinwar for his role in the attack.James Reynolds, “Israel vows to kill Hamas’s ‘Bin Laden’ who orchestrated October 7 attack - as Netanyahu labels him a ‘little Hitler in his bunker,’” Daily Mail (London), November 6, 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12715503/Israel-vows-kill-Hamass-Bin-Laden-orchestrated-October-7-attack-Netanyahu-labels-little-Hitler-bunker.html. On August 6, 2024, Hamas announced Sinwar as the new chair of its political bureau following Haniyeh’s July 31 assassination.“Hamas names Oct 7 mastermind Sinwar as leader after Haniyeh assassination,” Reuters, August 6, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-names-gaza-leader-yahya-sinwar-chief-following-haniyeh-killing-statement-2024-08-06/. Sinwar’s new role was short lived. On October 16, 2024, Sinwar was killed during an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip.Greg Norman, Ruth Marks Eglash, Efrat Lachter, “Hamas terror leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israeli official says,” Fox News, October 17, 2024, https://www.foxnews.com/world/idf-investigating-whether-hamas-chief-yahya-sinwar-killed-gaza-operations; Loveday Morris, “Yahya Sinwar, architect of Hamas massacre in Israel, is killed,” Washington Post, October 17, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2024/10/17/sinwar-hamas-gaza-dies/.

Sinwar was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1988 for murdering Palestinian collaborators with Israel, and for his role in the capture and murder of two Israeli soldiers. He was sentenced in 1989 to four life sentences, and released in October 2011 as part of a swap of 1,000 Hamas prisoners for kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Sinwar was one of the highest-ranking Hamas operatives to be released.“Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif,” U.S. Department of State, September 8, 2015, http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2015/09/246686.htm;
Fares Akram, “Hamas names shadowy militant as new leader in Gaza,” Associated Press, February 13, 2017, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9854bb8c51b14fe29f52fb943c07c14a/hamas-names-top-militant-new-leader-gaza. Following his release, Sinwar told Hamas media that the group should “kidnap more soldiers to exchange them for the freedom of our loved ones who are still behind bars.”Christina Boyle and Corky Siemaszko, “Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit freed, reunites with family after five years as Hamas prisoner,” New York Daily News, October 19, 2011, http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/israeli-soldier-gilad-shalit-freed-reunites-family-years-hamas-prisoner-article-1.964822. While in prison, Sinwar was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. In 2004, he was reportedly taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba, Israel, where doctors operated and removed the tumor.Ethan Bronner and Henry Meyer, “Hamas Chief Who Deceived Israel Is Target No. 1 Deep Underground,” Bloomberg News, November 16, 2023, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-16/hamas-chief-hiding-in-gaza-tunnels-is-in-israeli-crosshairs; Stephen Farrell and Samia Nakhoul, “Hamas leader Sinwar plotted Israel’s most deadly day in plain sight,” Reuters, December 6, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hiding-plain-sight-hamas-leader-sinwar-plotted-destruction-2023-12-01/.

Sinwar joined Hamas’s political bureau in April 2013.“Hamas elections exclude Zahhar, Rishq,” Ma’an News Agency, last updated April 8, 2013, http://www.maannews.com/Content.aspx?id=582542. By early 2016, he had orchestrated power shifts within Hamas’s Gaza-based leadership—causing Meshaal to reportedly struggle to maintain authority. Sinwar has advocated closer ties with Iran, which has continued to fund the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades despite cutting funding to Hamas as a whole. In late 2016, Meshaal called for a suspension of smuggling beneath the Gaza-Egypt border as Hamas moved to reconcile with Egypt. In opposition to Hamas’s political leadership, Sinwar and the Qassam Brigades have continued their tunneling activities and coordination with ISIS’s affiliate in the Sinai, Wilayat Sinai.Avi Issacharoff, “Inside Hamas, a bitter and very personal battle for control,” Times of Israel, March 19, 2016, http://www.timesofisrael.com/inside-hamas-a-bitter-and-very-personal-battle-for-control/;
Avi Issacharoff, “Rising new Hamas leader is all too familiar to Israel,” Times of Israel, December 18, 2015, http://www.timesofisrael.com/rising-new-hamas-leader-is-all-too-familiar-to-israel/.

Palestinian political observers told the Wall Street Journal in February 2017 that Sinwar’s political ascendance represented the failure of Hamas’s political leadership to promote its agenda over that of the military wing.Rory Jones, “Hamas Puts Militant Yahya Sinwar in Charge of Gaza,” Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2017, https://www.wsj.com/articles/hamas-puts-militant-yahya-sinwar-in-charge-of-gaza-1487001168. Kobi Michael, a former head of the Palestinian Desk at Israel’s Ministry for Strategic Affairs, told the Associated Press that Sinwar represented “one of the most radical and extreme lines of Hamas.”Fares Akram, “Hamas names shadowy militant as new leader in Gaza,” Associated Press, February 13, 2017, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9854bb8c51b14fe29f52fb943c07c14a/hamas-names-top-militant-new-leader-gaza. Sinwar was designated by the U.S. Department of State in September 2015.“Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif,” U.S. Department of State, September 8, 2015, https://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/266520.htm. The United Kingdom designated Sinwar on November 14, 2023.“CONSOLIDATED LIST OF FINANCIAL SANCTIONS TARGETS IN THE UK,” Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation  HM Treasury, last updated December 11, 2023, https://ofsistorage.blob.core.windows.net/publishlive/2022format/ConList.html.

On December 1, 2020, Hamas announced that Sinwar tested positive for COVID-19. The statement asserted that he was “fine and in good health,” and was “working normally according to safety protocols and medical quarantine.”Aaron Boxerman, “Yahya Sinwar, Head of Hamas in Gaza, Tests Positive for COVID-19,” Times of Israel, December 1, 2020, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-gaza-chief-yahya-sinwar-tests-positive-for-covid-19/.

On February 2, 2021, members of Hamas’s leadership, including Sinwar, met with the chairman of Qatar’s Gaza Reconstruction Committee, Ambassador Mohammed al-Emadi, in Gaza. Hamas thanked Qatar for providing a $360 million grant to the Gaza Strip for 2021.“Hamas Thanks Amir for Qatar’s Generous Support to Gaza,” Peninsula, February 3, 2021, https://thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/03/02/2021/Hamas-thanks-Amir-for-Qatar%E2%80%99s-generous-support-to-Gaza; “Hamas Thanks Amir for Qatar's Support to Palestinians,” Gulf Times, February 2, 2021, https://www.gulf-times.com/story/683806/Hamas-thanks-Amir-for-Qatar-s-generous-support-to-Palestinian-people.

In March 2021, Sinwar ran for reelection as Gaza’s political leader in a secretive internal Hamas election against Mahmoud Zahar, Fathi Hammad, Ziyad al-Thatha, and Nizar Awadallah. On March 9, reports emanated from Gaza that Sinwar had lost the election to Awadallah, the former head of Hamas’s advisory Shura Council. However, some Palestinian sources told Israeli media that the vote was not final, and a second round would take place.Agence France-Presse, “Hamas To Pick New Gaza Chief This Week: Party Sources,” Barron’s, March 9, 2021, https://www.barrons.com/news/hamas-to-pick-new-gaza-chief-this-week-party-sources-01615298711?tesla=y; Khaled Abu Toameh, “Hamas leader Sinwar ousted in secret vote - report,” Jerusalem Post, March 9, 2021, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/hamas-elects-new-leader-in-gaza-661454. On March 10, Sinwar won re-election in a runoff vote.Nidal al-Mughrabi, “Sinwar re-elected as Hamas chief in Gaza,” Reuters, March 10, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2B2259.

Early on May 16, 2021, Israel airstrikes targeted Sinwar’s home in Khan Younis. According to a spokesperson from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Sinwar was unharmed. The strikes occurred after a week of Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket attacks on Israeli cities and Israeli retaliatory strikes against Gaza.Ibrahim Dahman, Abeer Salman, Kareem Khadder, Mohammad Tawfeeq, Ben Wedeman, and Hadas Gold, “Israeli strikes hit home in Gaza refugee camp, media offices as conflict intensifies,” CNN, last updated May 16, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/15/middleeast/israel-palestinian-conflict-intl/index.html. On May 17, Eliezer Toledano, the head of the IDF Southern Command—who also holds a critical role in managing the battle against Hamas—stated that Sinwar could still be targeted by Israeli strikes. According to Toledano, Sinwar and the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades head, Mohammed Deif, remain in “Israel’s sights” as IDF troops will continue to go after Hamas fighters and leaders by targeting their “underground lairs until the end of fighting.”“Top IDF general says Hamas chiefs Deif and Sinwar ‘remain in Israel’s sights,’” Times of Israel, May 17, 2021, https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-general-says-idf-will-continue-to-try-kill-hamas-senior-leaders/. A ceasefire between Hamas and Israel went into effect on May 21 after 11 days of fighting, during which Hamas and PIJ launched more than 4,000 rockets at Israel. On May 22, Hamas held a military parade in Gaza City to celebrate its perceived victory, Sinwar made his first public appearance since the start of the conflict, visiting the family of Hamas commander Bassem Issa, who was killed during the fighting. A senior Hamas commander told Israeli media a new round of fighting would begin if Israel targeted either Sinwar or Deif.Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy, “Hamas defiant with military parade, appearance of top leader,” Associated Press, May 22, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/hamas-israel-middle-east-health-coronavirus-pandemic-6ea82ef3966ccd0cee3dce815730d130; “Hamas’s Sinwar emerges to claim victory; group warns against hits on leaders,” Times of Israel, May 22, 2021, https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamass-sinwar-emerges-to-claim-victory-group-warns-against-hits-on-leaders/.

In early May 2022, following a string of terror attacks in Israel that killed at least 19 people since that March, rumors circulated that Israel would specifically target Sinwar. Hamas claimed responsibility for an April 29 attack that killed a security guard at the West Bank settlement of Ariel. In an April 30 speech in Gaza, Sinwar called on Palestinians to ready their rifles or—if they did not have guns—cleavers, axes, and knives. Israel’s Channel 12 news station reported Israeli diplomatic and security officials had relayed a message to Sinwar that his calls to violence and the Ariel attack would allow Israel the freedom to respond militarily in Gaza. According to Israeli media, the Israelis also labeled Sinwar a “terror supporter” and warned he would be dealt with as appropriate. On May 5, As’ad Yousef As’ad al-Rifa’i and Subhi Emad Subhi Abu Shqeir killed three and wounded seven others with an axe and a knife in the Israeli city of Elad. The attack came after Israel’s warning to Sinwar, prompting media suspicion Sinwar’s speech may have influenced Rifa’i and Abu Shqeir. Hamas did not claim credit for the attack, nor were either attacker reported as members of Hamas.“Israel said to threaten Hamas chief Sinwar as calls for his head grow louder,” Times of Israel, May 6, 2022, https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-threaten-action-against-hamas-chief-sinwar-over-terror-cheerleading/. The following week, the Times of London reported Israeli officials had told foreign allies the Jewish state would restart targeted killings of Hamas leaders abroad if such attacks continued. The Times speculated Israel would target West Bank leader Saleh al-Arouri and Zaher Jabarin, responsible for financing Hamas’s international networks.Anshel Pfeffer, “Israel ‘will assassinate Hamas leaders if terror attacks continue,’” Times (London), May 8, 2022, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/israel-will-assassinate-hamas-leaders-if-terror-attacks-continue-m7xc9cnln. On May 7, the Hezbollah-affiliated Al-Mayadeen TV station reported Palestinian terror groups had threatened to resume terror attacks inside Israel if Israel begins targeting Palestinian militant leaders.Khaled Abu Toameh, “Terror groups threaten rocket strikes if Israel resumes targeted killings,” Jerusalem Post, last updated May 8, 2022, https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-706080.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched a mass attack on Israel, sending hundreds of fighters across the border into Israeli towns and military bases within 15 miles of the Gaza border while simultaneously launching a rocket barrage toward Israel.Josef Federman and Issam Adwan, “Hamas surprise attack out of Gaza stuns Israel and leaves hundreds dead in fighting, retaliation,” Associated Press, October 7, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-gaza-hamas-rockets-airstrikes-tel-aviv-11fb98655c256d54ecb5329284fc37d2. Hamas labeled the attack Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. “Operation Al Aqsa Flood,” Hamas Online Telegram channel, October 7, 2023. Written orders recovered from the bodies of dead Hamas fighters as well as video testimonials of Hamas attackers showed that Hamas fighters had been directed to kill as many people as possible. These orders contradicted statements from Hamas leaders that the terrorist group targeted only soldiers.Dov Lieber and David S. Cloud, “Hamas Fighters’ Orders: ‘Kill as Many People as Possible,’” Wall Street Journal, October 14, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-fighters-orders-kill-as-many-people-as-possible-2a6abff8. Hamas killed approximately 1,200 Israelis in the attack and took hostage at least 240 Israeli civilians and soldiers in Gaza.Peter Saidel and Dov Lieber, “Hamas Took More Than 200 Hostages From Israel. Here’s What to Know.,” Wall Street Journal, November 6, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-hostages-israel-gaza-41432124; “Israel revises Hamas attack death toll to ‘around 1,200,’” Reuters, November 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israel-revises-death-toll-oct-7-hamas-attack-around-1200-2023-11-10/. Israel declared war on Hamas and launched an assault on Gaza to uproot the terrorist group.Eyad Kourdi and Jonny Hallam, “Hamas claims to be holding more than 100 hostages, including Israeli army officers,” CNN, October 8, 2023, https://www.cnn.com/middleeast/live-news/israel-hamas-gaza-attack-10-08-23/h_97798904006dac1bcebd4ec84e359b33. Israel’s military leaders named Sinwar, Deif, and deputy military leader Marwan Issa as their most wanted in Gaza, warning all three were on a kill list. Israel accused the three of forming a military council that planned and executed the October 7 attack.“Samia Nakhoul, James Mackenzie and Phil Stewart, “Insight: Israel’s most wanted: the three Hamas leaders in Gaza it aims to kill,” Reuters, December 1, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israels-most-wanted-three-hamas-commanders-gaza-it-must-kill-2023-12-01/.

As Israeli forces struck Hamas forces across the Gaza Strip, officials declared Sinwar to be a top military target. Unconfirmed reports claimed Israeli airstrikes destroyed Sinwar’s home in Gaza.Emanuel Fabian, “IDF said to hit Gaza home of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar amid terror group assault,” Times of Israel, October 7, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-said-to-hit-gaza-home-of-hamas-chief-yahya-sinwar-amid-terror-group-assault/. IDF spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Richard Hecht accused Sinwar of masterminding the October 7 attack, likening him to Osama bin Laden. Hecht announced that Sinwar was an IDF target and labeled him “the face of evil.”Matthew Rosenberg, “Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s Leader in Gaza, Is at the Top of Israel’s Target List,” New York Times, last updated October 17, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/16/world/middleeast/hamas-leader-yehya-sinwar-gaza-israel.html. On October 9, IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari labeled Sinwar “the commander of the campaign” and declared that Sinwar “is a dead man.”Emanuel Fabian, “Hamas leader Sinwar ‘is a dead man,’ IDF spokesman threatens,” Times of Israel, October 9, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-leader-sinwar-is-a-dead-man-idf-spokesman-threatens/. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referred to Sinwar as “little Hitler in his bunker” with “no care for his people.”James Reynolds, “Israel vows to kill Hamas’s ‘Bin Laden’ who orchestrated October 7 attack - as Netanyahu labels him a ‘little Hitler in his bunker,’” Daily Mail (London), November 6, 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12715503/Israel-vows-kill-Hamass-Bin-Laden-orchestrated-October-7-attack-Netanyahu-labels-little-Hitler-bunker.html.

In January 2024, the British newspaper Asharq al-Awsat reported that Sinwar coordinated the October 7 attack with his brother Muhammad Sinwar, Deif, Rouhi Mushtaha, and Ayman Nofal. They reportedly chose the date of October 7 because of reports of calm along the border. They confirmed their plans on October 6 and waited until midnight that night to begin the attack with 70 fighters from elite Hamas units who were trained in infiltrating Israeli settlements. Palestinian sources told the newspaper that Hamas’s political leaders in Qatar were not informed of the attack until hours beforehand, when they received a briefing and instructions to go into hiding. The political leaders were reportedly not given details of the pending attack. After the first hour and a half, Hamas mobilized elite units within the Qassam Brigades to support the initial attackers.“‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ : Initiated by 70 Elite Fighters, Crafted by 5 Hamas Leaders,” Asharq al-Awsat (London), January 10, 2024, https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/4780421-%E2%80%98al-aqsa-flood%E2%80%99-initiated-70-elite-fighters-crafted-5-hamas-leaders.

On November 5, the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail newspaper published an interview with a senior Hamas commander who accused Sinwar and fellow Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh of changing the plan for October 7 at the last minute and inviting a devastating Israeli retaliation. According to the battalion commander, who identified himself only as Abu Mohammed, Hamas had originally planned only to kill Israeli soldiers and take some soldiers hostage. They had not planned to kill civilians. Abu Mohammed said he was one of the planners of October 7, but Haniyeh and Sinwar changed the plan and told fighters to “do what they like.”Summer Goodkind, “Top Hamas military commander claims October 7 attacks were never meant to target Israeli civilians as he breaks ranks to criticise terror group’s leaders ‘who changed the plan last-minute’ in extraordinary intervention,” Daily Mail (London), November 5, 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12712397/Top-Hamas-military-commander-claims-October-7-attacks-never-meant-target-Israeli-civilians-breaks-ranks-criticise-terror-groups-exiled-leaders-changed-plan-minute-extraordinary-intervention.html. Abu Mohammed accused Sinwar of acting like a “street fighter,” while the Hamas leadership abroad did not bear the consequences for October 7 like the people of Gaza did.Summer Goodkind, “Top Hamas military commander claims October 7 attacks were never meant to target Israeli civilians as he breaks ranks to criticise terror group’s leaders ‘who changed the plan last-minute’ in extraordinary intervention,” Daily Mail (London), November 5, 2023, https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12712397/Top-Hamas-military-commander-claims-October-7-attacks-never-meant-target-Israeli-civilians-breaks-ranks-criticise-terror-groups-exiled-leaders-changed-plan-minute-extraordinary-intervention.html. During interrogation in Israeli custody that December, former Hamas communications minister Yousef al-Mansi accused Sinwar and the Hamas leadership of setting Gaza back 200 years. In footage of the interrogation released by Israel’s Shin Bet security service on December 10, Mansi said, “People in the Gaza Strip say that Sinwar and his group destroyed us, we must get rid of them.”Emanuel Fabian and Michael Horovitz, “Ex-Hamas minister in interrogation: ‘Crazy people’ led by Sinwar ‘destroyed Gaza,’” Times of Israel, December 10, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-hamas-minister-in-interrogation-crazy-people-led-by-sinwar-destroyed-gaza/. Mansi further accused Sinwar of “delusions of grandeur” and making decisions without consulting others.Emanuel Fabian and Michael Horovitz, “Ex-Hamas minister in interrogation: ‘Crazy people’ led by Sinwar ‘destroyed Gaza,’” Times of Israel, December 10, 2023, https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-hamas-minister-in-interrogation-crazy-people-led-by-sinwar-destroyed-gaza/.

Citing Palestinian sources, a March 2024 report by Sky News Arabia claimed the Hamas leadership had criticized Sinwar for launching the October 7 attack without prior consultation with Hamas’s political leaders. Sinwar reportedly consulted with his brother Muhammad Sinwar, Deif, and Issa. The four had not consulted the rest of the Hamas leadership and its political bureau, who were ignorant of the decision.“Yahya Sinwar decided to launch October 7 attack alone, angering Hamas leaders – report,” Jerusalem Post, March 5, 2024, https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-790331.

Following the October 7 attacks, Israel launched a manhunt for Sinwar. On November 4, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant vowed to kill Sinwar.Maayan Jaffe-Hoffman, Seth J. Frantzman, and staff, “Israel vows to eliminate Hamas terror leader Yahya Sinwar,” Jerusalem Post, last updated November 5, 2023, https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-771715. On November 7, Israel announced a four-hour window for civilians to evacuate Gaza City before its forces entered the city later that day. Gallant also announced that Sinwar was in the Gaza City vicinity in an underground bunker.Shannon Vavra, “Israel Has Trapped Senior Hamas Leader in a Bunker: Defense Minister,” Daily Beast, November 7, 2023, https://www.thedailybeast.com/israeli-defense-forces-storm-gaza-city-in-full-ground-invasion. A December 9 Israeli news report claimed Sinwar had fled northern Gaza in an IDF humanitarian convoy to Khan Younis during the beginning of the war. Israeli army sources told the Jerusalem Post that captured Hamas terrorists had accused Sinwar and other Hamas leaders of not caring about the people living in the coastal strip and denying reality.“Hamas's Yahya Sinwar fled northern Gaza in IDF humanitarian convoy,” Jerusalem Post, last updated December 10, 2023, https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-777371. By December 10, Israeli forces were focusing on the areas of Jabaliya and Shajaiye in northern Gaza, and Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Israel had taken control of the area surrounding Hamas’s former headquarters in Gaza City. Tzahi Hanegbi, director of Israel’s national security council, rejected suggestions Sinwar and other Hamas leaders could be sent into exile like Yasser Arafat and the leadership of the Palestine Liberation Organization were exiled from Lebanon in the 1980s. Hanegbi reaffirmed that Israel’s intention was to kill Sinwar as a message to Hamas’s future leadership.“Israel says it will continue to search for Hamas’s leader.,” New York Times, December 11, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/12/11/world/israel-hamas-gaza-war-news/israel-says-it-will-continue-to-search-for-hamass-leader?smid=url-share.

Over the weekend of March 9-10, 2024, Israeli warplanes killed Issa in a building in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. Issa represented the highest-level Hamas death since the start of the Hamas-Israel war in October 2023. According to Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, the United States would help Israel locate other Hamas leaders and “justice will come for them too.”Adam Rasgon, “Israel Says It Targeted Marwan Issa, a Top Hamas Leader in Gaza,” New York Times, March 11, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/11/world/middleeast/israel-strike-marwan-issa-hamas.html; Ellen Mitchell, “Top Hamas commander killed in Israeli airstrike: White House,” Hill, March 18, 2024, https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4539947-top-hamas-commander-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-white-house/. Sullivan claimed Hamas’s Gaza leadership likely remained in hiding in Gaza’s underground tunnel network.Ellen Mitchell, “Top Hamas commander killed in Israeli airstrike: White House,” Hill, March 18, 2024, https://thehill.com/policy/defense/4539947-top-hamas-commander-killed-in-israeli-airstrike-white-house/.

Despite Sinwar’s international designations and his role in the October 7 attack, an English translation of a book he authored appeared on the merchant website Amazon in April 2024. Titled The Thorn and the Carnation Part 1, the book is a fictional novel about the Palestinian struggle against Israel. Sinwar wrote the book during his previous incarceration in Israel.“The Thorn and the Carnation Paperback – December 2, 2023,” Amazon, accessed April 12, 2024, https://www.amazon.com/Thorn-Carnation-Yahya-Al-Sinwar/dp/B0CPCPLQZX. Attorneys for the International Legal Forum sent a letter to Amazon owner and CEO Jeff Bezos demanding the book’s removal as the book violated Amazon’s own policies prohibiting the marketing of offensive content. The attorneys also warned that selling the book could expose Amazon to U.S. anti-terrorism laws. Amazon reportedly agreed to remove the book as of April 11.Ariel Kahana, “Following Israel Hayom publication, Yahya Sinwar's book removed from Amazon,” Israel Hayom, April 11, 2024, https://www.israelhayom.com/2024/04/11/following-israel-hayom-publication-yahya-sinwars-book-removed-from-amazon/. Nonetheless, the book remained online as of April 12.“The Thorn and the Carnation Paperback – December 2, 2023,” Amazon, accessed April 12, 2024, https://www.amazon.com/Thorn-Carnation-Yahya-Al-Sinwar/dp/B0CPCPLQZX.

Backed by the United States, Qatar and Egypt have continued to push for ceasefire discussions. On March 7, 2024, Hamas withdrew from discussions after Sinwar demanded Israel commit to discussing a permanent end to the war. Haniyeh reportedly favored a six-week pause in fighting. According to Egyptian officials cited by the Wall Street Journal, Sinwar believed Hamas had an advantage over Israel because of growing political divisions in Israel.Summer Said, Margherita Stancati, and Anat Peled, “Hamas Leaves Gaza Talks With No Cease-Fire Deal,” Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2024, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/hamas-leaves-gaza-talks-with-no-cease-fire-deal-f9ec1ba8.

On July 31, 2024, Haniyeh was killed in his Tehran, Iran, guesthouse in what Hamas called a “treacherous Zionist raid on his residence in Tehran.”“Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh killed in Iran, Hamas says in statement,” Reuters, July 30, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-chief-ismail-haniyeh-killed-iran-hamas-says-statement-2024-07-31/. Haniyeh was in Tehran for the July 30 inauguration of the country’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.Abby Sewell, “Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh is assassinated in Tehran,” Associated Press, last updated July 30, 2024, https://apnews.com/article/iran-hamas-israel-30968a7acb31cd8b259de9650014b779. Reuters initially reported on July 31 that Hamas had selected Meshaal to succeed Haniyeh.Nidal Al-Mughrabi, “Khaled Meshaal, who survived Israeli assassination attempt, tipped to be new Hamas leader,” Reuters, July 31, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/khaled-meshaal-who-survived-israeli-assassination-attempt-tipped-be-new-hamas-2024-07-31/. On August 6, Hamas officially named Sinwar as Haniyeh’s replacement. Meshaal endorsed Sinwar “in loyalty to Gaza and its people, who are waging the battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa.”“Hamas names Oct 7 mastermind Sinwar as leader after Haniyeh assassination,” Reuters, August 6, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-names-gaza-leader-yahya-sinwar-chief-following-haniyeh-killing-statement-2024-08-06/. In response to the news, Hamas fighters in Gaza launched a salvo of rockets. An unnamed senior Hamas official told Agence France-Presse that Sinwar’s selection was “a strong message to the occupation (Israel) that Hamas continues its path of resistance.”Agence France-Presse, “Hamas official to AFP: Sinwar’s selection as new leader sends ‘strong message of resistance,’” Times of Israel, August 6, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/hamas-official-to-afp-sinwars-selection-as-new-leader-sends-strong-message-of-resistance/.

On February 1, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice issued an indictment charging Sinwar and five other senior Hamas leaders with terrorism charges related to October 7. According to the indictment, the six leaders played central roles in planning, supporting, and perpetrating Hamas’s terrorist atrocities of October 7. In addition to Sinwar, the indictment charged Deif, Issa, Haniyeh, Meshaal, and Ali Baraka. The complaint specifically charged the six with conspiracy to murder U.S. citizens, conspiracy to finance terrorism, conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction resulting in death, and conspiracy to support terrorism resulting in death. The complaint cited Hamas terrorist acts dating back to 1996. According to the Justice Department, the indictment was kept under seal to prevent Haniyeh and others from going into hiding. The Justice Department unsealed the indictment on September 3, 2024, after determining there was no longer sufficient reason to keep the indictment sealed after Haniyeh’s death that July.“Justice Department Announces Terrorism Charges Against Senior Leaders of Hamas,” U.S. Department of Justice, September 3, 2024, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-terrorism-charges-against-senior-leaders-hamas.

Some Israeli officials suspected Sinwar was hiding in the Rafah area of Gaza along the Egyptian border.Steve Hendrix, Claire Parker, and Miriam Berger, “Standoff over Rafah assault tests Israel’s most important alliances,” Washington Post, February 15, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/02/15/israel-rafah-gaza-war-displaced/. On February 26, 2024, the Washington Post reported that the IDF believed Sinwar was hiding in a tunnel network beneath southern Gaza’s Khan Younis area. According to Israeli sources, Sinwar surrounded himself with a human shield of hostages to deter Israeli attempts to capture or kill him. Israeli officials told the Washington Post that the war in Gaza could not end until Sinwar is captured, killed, or no longer able to run Hamas’s operations.Shane Harris, “Hamas leader hiding in Gaza, but killing him risks hostages, officials say,” Washington Post, February 26, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/02/26/sinwar-hamas-tunnels-israel-gaza/.

As of August 2024, the IDF reportedly suspected that Sinwar was hiding in Rafah, having observed people moving around the area with their faces covered, signaling that they were either senior Hamas officials or hostages. In September, Israeli forces discovered Sinwar’s DNA in urine collected from the tunnel complex beneath Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood. It was the same complex in which the bodies of six dead Israeli hostages had been recovered on August 31.Mark Mazzetti, Natan Odenheimer, Aaron Boxerman, Ronen Bergman, and Adam Goldman, “Sinwar’s Final Moments: On the Run, Hurt, Alone, but Still Defiant,” New York Times, last updated October 19, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/18/world/middleeast/yahya-sinwar-final-moments-gaza.html.

Sinwar died during an Israeli operation in Gaza on October 16, 2024. A group of Israeli soldiers on a routine patrol in Rafah’s Tel al-Sultan neighborhood witnessed three suspected terrorists moving from house to house, one man following behind the other two. An ensuing firefight left one of the soldiers wounded and the two terrorists dead.  The soldiers then sent a drone into an adjacent house where the third man had hidden. The drone recorded a wounded man sitting in a chair with his face covered with a keffiyeh. The man threw a stick toward the drone, and an Israeli sniper then shot the man while a tank fired a shell at the building. Israeli forces recovered the body and confirmed Sinwar’s identity after DNA and dental testing. On October 17, Netanyahu publicly confirmed Sinwar’s death, calling it “the sunset of Hamas’s evil reign” in Gaza.Mark Mazzetti, Natan Odenheimer, Aaron Boxerman, Ronen Bergman, and Adam Goldman, “Sinwar’s Final Moments: On the Run, Hurt, Alone, but Still Defiant,” New York Times, last updated October 19, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/18/world/middleeast/yahya-sinwar-final-moments-gaza.html. U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement calling Sinwar’s death “a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.”“Statement from President Joe Biden on the Death of Yahya Sinwar,” White House, October 17, 2024, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2024/10/17/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-death-of-yahya-sinwar/. An October 18 Hamas statement claimed that Sinwar’s death would “only increase the strength, steadfastness, and determination” of Hamas’s fighters “to continue on their path, and to be loyal to their blood and sacrifices.”Mark Mazzetti, Natan Odenheimer, Aaron Boxerman, Ronen Bergman, and Adam Goldman, “Sinwar’s Final Moments: On the Run, Hurt, Alone, but Still Defiant,” New York Times, last updated October 19, 2024, https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/18/world/middleeast/yahya-sinwar-final-moments-gaza.html. A Hamas statement on Telegram confirmed Sinwar’s death, calling him one of the “great martyr leaders.” The group further vowed to continue a “comprehensive” fight for the “return and the establishment of the Palestinian state on the entire Palestinian national soil with Jerusalem as its capital.”“Hamas leadership declares mourning,” NBC News, October 18, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/live-updates-hamas-leader-yahya-sinwar-possibly-killed-gaza-rcna175922. On October 19, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei called Sinwar’s death “undoubtedly painful for the Axis of Resistance,” but he pledged that “Hamas is alive and will remain alive.”“Iran’s supreme leader says Hamas leader’s death will not halt ‘Axis of Resistance,’” Reuters, October 19, 2024, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/irans-supreme-leader-says-hamas-leaders-death-will-not-halt-axis-resistance-2024-10-19/.

Also Known As

• Abu IbrahimAnshel Pfeffer, “Revealed: secret letters that show Iran’s £200m payments to Hamas,” Times (London), April 11, 2024, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/iran-hamas-israel-payments-letters-6l6mtpnbw.
• Yahya al-SinwarC. Jacob, “Upheavals In Hamas In Wake Of Arab Spring: Center of Leadership Shifts To Gaza,” MEMRI, October 26, 2012, http://www.memri.org/report/en/print6779.htm.
• Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 8, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20150908.aspx.
• Yehia Sinwar“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 8, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20150908.aspx.
• Yehiya SinwarFares Akram, “Hamas names shadowy militant as new leader in Gaza,” Associated Press, February 13, 2017, http://bigstory.ap.org/article/9854bb8c51b14fe29f52fb943c07c14a/hamas-names-top-militant-new-leader-gaza.
• Yehiyeh Sinwar“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 8, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20150908.aspx.
• Yehya al-Sinwar“Counter Terrorism Designations,” U.S. Department of the Treasury, September 8, 2015, https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/20150908.aspx.