Yahya Sinwar
Yahya Sinwar (Yehiya Sinwar Template:Lang-ar) (born 1962) is a Palestinian military leader in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza, and Gaza's newly elected prime minister, taking over from Ismail Haniyeh.[1][2] He was one of the co-founders of the security apparatus of Hamas.[3] He is the second most powerful figure within Hamas.[4]
Early life
Sinwar was born Yahya Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar in 1962, in a refugee camp in Khan Yunis, where he spent his early years. After he graduated from high school at Khan Yunis Secondary School for Boys, he went on to the Islamic University of Gaza where he received a bachelor's degree in Arabic Studies.[3][5]
Career
Sinwar was first arrested in 1982 for subversive activities and he served several months in the Far'a prison where he met other Palestinian activists, including Salah Shehade, and dedicated himself to the Palestinian cause.[3] Arrested again in 1985,[2] upon his release he together with Rawhi Mushtaha co-founded the Munazzamat al Jihad w’al-Dawa (Majd) security organisation, which worked to, inter alia, identify Israeli spies in the Palestinian movement,[1] and which in 1987 became the "police" of Hamas.[3]
In 1988, he masterminded the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers, was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to multiple life sentences.[2] He tried to escape several times but was always caught.[5][6] Sinwar served 22 years of his sentence before being released as part of the prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.[1]
In September 2015, Sinwar was declared a "terrorist" by the United States government.[7]
Notes and references
- ^ a b c Beaumont, Peter (13 February 2017). "Hamas elects hardliner Yahya Sinwar as its Gaza Strip chief". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 February 2017.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Balousha, Hazam; Booth, William (13 February 2017). "Hamas names hard-liner as its new political leader in Gaza". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d نبذة عن حياة الأسير يحيى السنوار مؤسس الجهاز الأمني لحركة المقاومة الإسلامية حماس [About the life of the prisoner Yahya Sinwar founder of the security apparatus of the Islamic Resistance Movement Hamas] (in Arabic). Palestinian Information Center. 15 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2016.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Invalid|script-title=: missing prefix (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "The Palestinians try to reconcile". The Economist. 5 October 2017.
- ^ a b "Yehya Ibrahim Sinwar". Ezzedeen AL-Qassam Brigades. Archived from the original on 2 September 2016.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ قائد حماس بالسجون يحيى السنوار... خطط للهرب اكثر من مرة وعوقب بالعزل [Imprisoned Hamas leader Yehia Sinwar ... planned to escape more than once and was punished with solitary]. Maan News Agency. 19 October 2011. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017.
{{cite web}}: Invalid|script-title=: missing prefix (help); Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif". United States Department of State. 8 September 2015. Archived from the original on 14 January 2017.
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