Mohammed Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar (Arabic: محمد إبراهيم حسن السنوار; born 16 September 1975) is a Palestinian politician who has served as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip since October 2024, after his brother Yahya Sinwar, chairman of the Hamas Politicial Bureau and the previous leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, was killed in the Israel–Hamas war. He is also a leader of the Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
Mohammed Sinwar | |
|---|---|
محمد السنوار | |
| Leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip | |
| Assumed office 16 October 2024 | |
| Prime Minister | Issam al-Da'alis |
| Preceded by | Yahya Sinwar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Mohammed Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar 16 September 1975 Khan Yunis refugee camp, Gaza Strip |
| Relatives | Yahya Sinwar (brother) |
| Nickname | Abu Ibrahim (kunya) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Hamas (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) |
| Years of service | 1991–present |
| Rank | Commander |
| Battles/wars | |
He spent several years in Israeli jails in the 1990s and became the leader of Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade in 2005. He has been subject to several assassination attempts by Israel.[1]
Early life
Mohammed Sinwar was born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in 1975. Sinwar's family grandparents fled from Al-Majdal Asqalan (Ashkelon) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He joined the military movement of Hamas in 1991.[1]
Military career
In 2005, Sinwar became the commander of Hamas' Khan Younis brigade. He was a participant in the abduction of Gilad Shalit in 2006. Shalit was eventually released in 2011 in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners, one of whom was his brother Yahya Sinwar.[2]
Mohammed Sinwar was subject to six assassination attempts by Israel in the past, with the most recent being in May 2021. Hamas had announced that he had died in 2014 during the Israel-Gaza War but this was later found out to be incorrect information. Sinwar had presumably been hiding in the tunnels underneath the Gaza Strip.[3][4]
Mohammed Sinwar is believed by Israeli intelligence to be one of the masterminds of the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023. Israel has made him one of the most wanted men in its military operation in Gaza, placing a $300,000 bounty on information of Mohammed Sinwar's whereabouts.[5] He was reportedly a close confidant of his brother, Yahya Sinwar, during the war.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Muhammad Al-Sanwar, member of the Qassam Brigades' Staff and one of the architects of the "Shalit deal"". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 18 October 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ "Report: Sinwar's brother also met with hostages in Gaza". The Times of Israel. 28 November 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Shoaib, Ali (12 November 2023). "A Hamas leader pronounced dead in 2014 has been living in underground tunnels and masterminded the October 7 attacks, Israeli intel says". Business Insider. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Seidel, Jamie (13 November 2023). "'Dead' man Mohammed Sinwar planned October 7 Israel attacks". News Corp Australia. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Marks Eglash, Ruth (17 December 2023). "Israel's most wanted: 'Butcher of Khan Younis,' other Hamas terrorists now in IDF's sights". Fox News. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Morris, Loveday; Balousha, Hazem (11 December 2023). "Who is Hamas leader Yehiya Sinwar? From enforcer to Oct. 7 mastermind". Washington Post. Retrieved 29 December 2023.