Yahya Sinwar delivering a speech in April 2023. (Credit: Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images)
Yahya Sinwar, who Israel claims is the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attack, was appointed on Tuesday as the new head of Hamas, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated a week ago in Iran, amid tensions and fears of a military escalation in the Middle East.
Born on Oct. 19, 1962, in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, known as Abu Ibrahim, has been married since 2012 and is the father of three children.
He was imprisoned in Israel from 1989 to 2011 and was released as part of an agreement between the Palestinian Islamist movement and Israel. He holds a bachelor's degree in Arabic from the Islamic University of Gaza, according to a biography distributed by Hamas.
Roles within Hamas
Yahya Sinwar began his political engagement while still a student and continued his involvement with Hamas during his years in prison.
In 2012, Sinwar was elected as a member of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip and was put in charge of security. He later became a member of the general political bureau and took charge of the military portfolio in 2013.
In September 2015, the United States listed him as an international terrorist.
In February 2017, Yahya Sinwar was elected head of Hamas' political bureau in the Gaza Strip. He was re-elected for a second term in 2021.
The new leader of Hamas speaks fluent Hebrew and has authored several publications and translations in the fields of politics and security.
