New Delhi: Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, was released by Israel in 2011 as part of a major prisoner swap deal involving the exchange of 1,027 Palestinian and Israeli Arab prisoners for a single Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Shalit, an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier, had been held captive by Hamas for five years after his kidnapping in 2006, in a raid that involved Sinwar’s brother, a senior Hamas military commander.
Sinwar had spent more than 22 years in Israeli prisons, from 1988 to 2011, a period that reportedly intensified his radical views. Experts suggest that his time in solitary confinement, along with his interactions with other prisoners, strengthened his leadership role within Hamas.
Israeli authorities have described Sinwar as “cruel, authoritative, and influential,” possessing considerable endurance, manipulative skills, and an ability to rally crowds. His leadership inside prison, where he negotiated with prison authorities and enforced discipline among inmates, further solidified his status as a prominent Hamas figure.
After his release, Sinwar advocated for more kidnappings of Israeli soldiers. His time in prison had not softened his stance but rather seemed to strengthen his dedication to Hamas’s objectives.
After returning to Gaza following the 2011 swap, Sinwar’s influence grew significantly, due to both his role as a founding member of Hamas and the prestige gained from his long imprisonment. His leadership was further solidified through fear, as Sinwar had a notorious reputation for violence, earning the nickname “The Butcher of Khan Younis.” He was allegedly responsible for the detention, torture, and murder of a Hamas commander in 2015, who had been accused of embezzlement and homosexuality.
In 2017, Yahya Sinwar was appointed head of Hamas’s Political Bureau in the Gaza Strip. His younger brother, Mohammed Sinwar, also played a significant role in Hamas’s military operations and is believed to have survived several Israeli assassination attempts.
