Yahya Sinwar planned and organized an attack against Israel that shook the world and unleashed a catastrophe growing with no end in sight.
In Gaza, no figure was more important in determining the trajectory of the war than that of the 61-year-old Hamas leader. Obsessive, disciplined and dictatorialwas a rarely seen military veteran who learned Hebrew in years spent in Israeli prisons and carefully studied his enemy.
On Thursday, Israel reported that its troops killed Sinwar in Gaza. So far, Hamas has not commented on his death.
The secretive figure, feared on both sides of the battle line, organized the surprise attack of October 7, 2023 in southern Israel, along with the even more enigmatic Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas’s armed wing. Israel claimed to have eliminated Deif in a July attack in southern Gaza, which killed more than 70 Palestinians.
Shortly after, the Hamas leader in exile, Ismail Haniyeh, died in an explosion while visiting Iran, in an act for which Israel was blamed. Sinwar was chosen to take his place as Hamas’ top leader, although he was hiding in Gaza.
The Palestinian militants who carried out the October 2023 attack They killed mainly civilianstaking the Israeli Army and intelligence agencies by surprise and shaking the image of Israel’s invincibility.
The retaliation taken by Israel was overwhelming. In the conflict they have dead more than 42 thousand peoplethe coastal region has been virtually destroyed, and hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, many of whom are on the brink of famine, have been left homeless.
Sinwar held indirect negotiations with Israel to try to end the war. One of its objectives was to obtain the release of thousands of Palestinians locked up in Israeli jailssomething very similar to the agreement by which he was released more than a decade ago.
???????????? Yahya Sinwar’s body was found above ground, wearing a combat vest and with an AK by his side.
He was with his soldiers on the frontline. pic.twitter.com/gB8cjIfGIp
— Legitimate Targets (@LegitTargets) October 17, 2024
He worked to bring Hamas closer to Iran and its other allies in the region. The war that started incorporated Hezbollah, which ultimately led to another Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and caused Iran and Israel will exchange fire directly for the first timeraising fears of an even more expansive conflict.
For the Israelis, Sinwar was a nightmare. Israeli Army chief spokesman Vice Admiral Daniel Hagari said he was a killer “who showed the world that Hamas is worse than ISIS,” referring to the Islamic State group.
Always defiant, Sinwar concluded one of his few public speeches inviting Israel to assassinate himproclaiming in Gaza that he would “return home after this meeting.” And he did, waving and taking selfies with people on the streets.
Israel celebrates Sinwar’s death:
Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader and mastermind behind the October 7 massacre, HAS BEEN ELIMINATED.
A ruthless killer responsible for planning the brutal attack where 1,200 people were massacred.
Today his reign of terror ends.
Today justice has been done. pic.twitter.com/q2R52e8i4L
— Israel in Spanish (@IsraelinSpanish) October 17, 2024
Among Palestinians, he was respected for standing up to Israel and stay in impoverished Gazaunlike other Hamas leaders who lived comfortably abroad.
But he was also greatly feared by his iron hand in Gazawhere public dissent is prohibited.
SNGZ
