Who Is Yahya Sinwar: New Leader Of Hamas

Image: AFP [{ "selector": ".mmflj-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".tqsue-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Yahya Sinwar, who was Hamas' Gaza chief, has emerged as leader of the Palestinian group in the middle of a full-blown war

Image: AFP [{ "selector": ".gujio-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".iizgj-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".drjrg-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Yahya Sinwar replaces Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran last week

Image: AFP [{ "selector": ".tjunp-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".iuiui-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 516px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".nptmu-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in southern Gaza, Sinwar joined Hamas the group in 1987

Image: AFP [{ "selector": ".lbqun-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".nterq-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 510px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".qesso-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Sinwar set up the group's internal security apparatus the following year and went on to head an intelligence unit

Image: X/@realSinwar [{ "selector": ".istrc-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".ujffe-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".aacsi-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

A graduate of the Islamic University in Gaza, the 61-year-old learned perfect Hebrew during his 23 years in Israeli jails

Image: X/@realSinwar [{ "selector": ".trgxi-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".jmqaj-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".lemgm-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

He was freed in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange deal that saw the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been captured by Hamas

Image: File [{ "selector": ".xuzaw-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".udgcp-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".robun-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Sinwar became a senior commander in the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, before taking overall leadership in Gaza

Image: File [{ "selector": ".rxujo-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".fzgtj-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".leape-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

He played a leading political and military role during Israel's seven-week offensive against Gaza in 2014

Image: File [{ "selector": ".lmtix-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".wtbpa-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".silgd-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

The Hamas chief was added to the US list of the most wanted "international terrorists" in 2015

Image: X/@realSinwar [{ "selector": ".welzo-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".uujnu-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 516px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".abkuc-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

In 2017, he became Hamas's chief in Gaza, succeeding Haniyeh, who was elected as the chair of the group's political bureau

Image: X/@realSinwar [{ "selector": ".itxla-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "1000ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "80%"} ] }, { "selector": ".mflwf-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "transform": "translateY(calc(600px - 489px))", "opacity": "1"}, {"offset": 1, "transform": "translateY(0)", "opacity": "1"} ] }, { "selector": ".xcrfn-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }]

Check More Stories

[{ "selector": ".jibzs-a", "duration": "1000ms", "fill": "forwards", "delay": "0ms", "keyframes": [ {"offset": 0, "opacity": 0}, {"offset": 1, "opacity": "1"} ] }] ndtv.com