Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar confirmed alive amid ongoing conflict: reports
- In Reports
- 07:49 PM, Oct 08, 2024
- Myind Staff
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is reportedly alive and has been in touch with officials in Qatar recently, according to Al Arabiya. A report from Reuters on Friday stated that Sinwar feels no remorse for the October 7 attacks on Israel, based on conversations with people engaged with him.
According to two Middle Eastern government sources and four Palestinian officials, Sinwar, 62, believes that armed struggle is the only path to a Palestinian state. Sinwar was a major player in the Hamas cross-border attacks that led to the deadliest day in Israel's history. The attacks of October 7, which Israel commemorated on Monday, were the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, with 1,200 people killed—mostly civilians—and 250 hostages taken prisoner, according to Israeli tallies.
In response, Israel launched a massive offensive that resulted in over 41,909 deaths and 1.9 million displacements, according to UN and Palestinian health authorities' data. The war has now extended to Lebanon, where Israel has severely damaged and killed the majority of the leadership of Hezbollah, a militant organisation supported by Iran. Tehran, which backs Hamas, faces the danger of getting embroiled in a direct confrontation with Israel.
Despite some indications of disapproval among Gazans, Sinwar's hold over Hamas is unwavering. After his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was slain in July during a visit to Tehran by an alleged Israeli strike, he was selected as the general leader of the Islamist movement. Israel has not stated that it took part in the attack.
According to two Israeli sources, Sinwar and his brother, who is also a top commander, are operating from the shadows of a maze-like network of tunnels beneath Gaza. According to these sources, Israeli airstrikes have allegedly killed a senior leader and his deputy, Mohammed Deif. However, Sinwar and his brother appear to have survived thus far.
Dubbed "The Face of Evil" by Israel, three Hamas officials and one regional official claim that Sinwar operates in secret, moves frequently, and uses reliable messengers for non-digital communication. Since October 7, he has not been sighted in public. Sinwar was the only decision-maker during months of unsuccessful ceasefire negotiations, spearheaded by Qatar and Egypt and centred on exchanging detainees for hostages, according to three Hamas sources.
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