Who is Sinwar, Iran's "ruthless" man at the head of Hamas?

Yahya Sinwar, the alleged architect of the deadly October 7 attack on Israel, the new leader of Hamas, the group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, is known for his close ties to Iran. His appointment on August 6 as head of the Palestinian group's political bureau followed the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran on July 31, which Iran and Hamas have blamed on Israel.

After the death of Haniyeh, who had strong ties to Iranian officials, among the main names being considered for his successor were Khaled Meshaal, the former head of Hamas' political bureau, and Khalil al-Hayya, a well-known figure within the bureau, who had close ties with Haniyeh. The appointment of Sinwar, who has been head of Hamas in Gaza since 2017, came as a big surprise because many had not counted on the Iran factor, analysts said.

"None of us experts on Palestinian affairs — especially here in Israel — saw Sinwar as the person to replace Haniyeh," said Yohanan Tzoreff, a senior researcher at the Tel Aviv-based Institute for National Security Studies.

"A big reason why Sinwari is the new leader is Iran," added Tzoreff, who specializes in Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Sinwar was named the new political chief two days after discussions in Qatar of the Shura Council - a consultative body that elects the group's political bureau and has members in Gaza, the West Bank, Israeli prisons and the Palestinian diaspora. Tzoreff said that Meshaal's criticism during the Arab Spring of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad - Tehran's close ally - in 2011 made him a rather unpopular figure among Iran's top officials.

Tzoreff argued that Mashaal's return to power may have been jeopardized by the radical Palestinian group's relations with the Islamic Republic and "the Iranians may not be giving Hamas everything it needs [to fight Israeli forces]". But Sinwar is said to have remained in Gaza, where he has been hiding since the start of the war with Israel in October. The limitations on his movements and his limited ability to communicate with the world mean that Sinwar is very limited in what he can do.

"I don't expect him or Hamas to get closer to Iran. At this point, the relationship is likely to stay the same," said Joost Hiltermann, director for the Middle East and North Africa Program at the International Crisis Group.

Also known to his supporters as Abu Ibrahim, Sinwar, 61, was born in Gaza's Han Yunis refugee camp. His parents, like Haniyeh's, fled the coastal town of Ashkelon during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war that resulted in the creation of the state of Israel — or, as Palestinians call it, the "nakba" (catastrophe). Sinwar joined Hamas shortly after the group was formed in 1987 and created its own formidable internal security organization, Al-Majd. The purpose of this organization was to find Israeli spies within the group. He gained a reputation for violence and was nicknamed "The Butcher of Han Yunis".

Sinwar was captured by Israeli forces and sentenced to several life sentences on various charges, including the murder of two Israeli soldiers. He spent over two decades in prison.

"He is a person who was hardened in Israeli prisons, like many former Palestinian prisoners," said Hiltermann.

He said Sinwari learned Hebrew while in prison and it helped him learn how Israeli leaders think.

"Sinwari is very strong. He is ruthless. He is a leader, in the form of every Israeli leader," said Hiltermann.

While in prison, Sinwar organized strikes to improve working conditions and emerged as a leader of imprisoned Palestinians. His experience in prison "prepared him very well for the leadership of Hamas" and in planning the Oct. 7 attack, Hiltermann said.

Almost 1,200 people, most civilians, were killed when Hamas radicals attacked communities in southern Israel in October and took hostages. The attack prompted Israel to launch a major offensive in the Hamas-led Gaza Strip, which Palestinian sources say has killed more than 40,000 people. Sinwar was released from prison in 2011 as part of an exchange in which more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners were released in exchange for an Israeli soldier held by Hamas.

Shortly after his release, Sinwari accompanied Haniyeh on a visit to Tehran, where he met with Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. On the same day that Sinwari was announced as Haniyeh's successor, Khamenei's X account released a short video showing Sinwari's meeting with the Iranian leader in February 2012.

Traditionally, Hamas' political bureau chief is based abroad so he can travel and maintain contact with regional allies, such as Iran and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

But Sinwari, for whom the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, once joked that he is "buried 10 floors underground", located in Gaza, cannot leave the enclave because of the war. Tzoreff said that by appointing the Gaza-based leader, Hamas "sent a strong message" to Israel and Arab states that "Hamas' resistance has not collapsed."

"The main message is that no one can drive them out of the area," he added. Sinwar personally may not want to leave Gaza because his legacy is based on his stay in the enclave.

"If Sinwar leaves Gaza, the Palestinians will say he has abandoned them, like the captain leaving the ship," Hiltermann said.

Sinwar has been targeted by Israel since the start of the war, with army spokesman Admiral Daniel Hagari describing him as a "dead man" after the October 7 attack. Killing Sinwar remains a priority for the Israeli military.

The head of the Israeli army, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi, vowed on August 7 that his troops would target Sinwar and force Hamas "to replace the head of the politburo again"./REL