Who is Yahya Sinwar, is he dead? The life of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

Yahya Sinwar has become a figure increasingly wondered about and researched by social media users. The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson announced that the Hamas leader may have been killed during a recent operation. So, who is Yahya Sinwar and is he really dead?

WHO IS YAHYA SINWAR?

Yahya Sinwar was born in 1962 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, while the region was under Egyptian control, and spent his childhood there. His family had taken refuge in the Gaza Strip after fleeing Al-Majdal Asqalan (modern-day Ashkelon) during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. After completing his secondary education at the Khan Yunis Boys' Secondary School, he graduated from the Islamic University of Gaza with a degree in Arabic Language and Literature.

Sinwar was first arrested in 1982 and spent several months in the Far'a prison. In February 1988, he was arrested on charges of being involved in the kidnapping and killing of two Israeli soldiers and the killing of four Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel.

HE SPENT 22 YEARS IN PRISON

After serving a total of 22 years in prison, he stood out as the most senior Palestinian prisoner released in the 2011 prisoner exchange deal made in return for the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Sinwar, who was elected for a second four-year term as the leader of Hamas's Gaza branch in March 2021, is considered the second most powerful figure in the organization after Ismail Haniyeh, as the highest-ranking Hamas official in Gaza.

IS YAHYA SINWAR DEAD?

Sinwar had been elected to replace Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an assassination carried out by Israel while attending the inauguration ceremony of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. While the Israeli press claims that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead, the Israeli army stated that it is investigating this possibility.