Sinwar succeeds Haniyeh as Hamas political head

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) has selected Yahya Sinwar as the new head of the movement's political bureau, succeeding the late leader Ismail Haniyeh – per a statement issued just now.

"The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) announces the selection of Leader Yahya Sinwar as head of the movement’s political bureau, succeeding its martyr and leader Ismail Haniyeh, may Allah have mercy on him," Hamas said in an official statement. 

Yahya Sinwar, born October 7, 1962, was arrested multiple times by “Israel” and sentenced to four life terms before being released in a prisoner exchange in 2011.

He resumed his leadership role in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, and was elected head of the movement in Gaza in 2017 and again in 2021.

Early Life and Education

Sinwar was born in Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza Strip. His family had been displaced from Majdal, northeast of Gaza, after it was occupied and renamed Ashkelon by “Israel” in 1948.

He received his education at Khan Younis Secondary School and later graduated with a bachelor's degree in Arabic studies from the Islamic University of Gaza. His childhood was marked by frequent “Israeli" incursions and harassment in the camps.

Sinwar married Samar Mohammed Abu Zmr in November 2011. She holds a master’s degree in Islamic studies from the Islamic University of Gaza. They have one son, Ibrahim.

Political Activity

Sinwar began his political activism as a university student, joining the Islamic Bloc, the student branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Palestine. He served as secretary general and later president of the student council at the Islamic University of Gaza.

In 1986, he co-founded a security organization known as "Mujad" with Khaled Hindi and Rouhi Mushtaha, under the direction of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin. This organization aimed to identify and pursue “Israeli” spies and security personnel, becoming the precursor to Hamas's internal security system.

Arrests

Sinwar was first arrested in 1982 for his student activism and detained administratively for four months. He was re-arrested a week later and held for six months without trial. In 1985, he was imprisoned again, this time for eight months.

On January 20, 1988, Sinwar was arrested and charged with leading the kidnapping and killing of two “Israeli” soldiers and the murder of four Palestinians suspected of collaborating with “Israel”.

He was sentenced to four life terms (426 years).

During his imprisonment, Sinwar led the Hamas prisoners’ leadership in various hunger strikes and spent four years in solitary confinement.

Post-Imprisonment Activity

Released in 2011 as part of the prisoner exchange for “Israeli” soldier Gilad Shalit, Sinwar was elected to Hamas’s political bureau in 2012 and took charge of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

He played a key role in coordinating between the political and military wings of Hamas during the 2014 Gaza conflict and was instrumental in assessing and reshuffling field leadership.

In 2015, Sinwar was appointed to handle negotiations over “Israeli” prisoners and was later designated as an international terrorist by the United States and targeted by Israel for elimination.

On February 13, 2017, he was elected head of Hamas’s political bureau in the Gaza Strip, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh. Following the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood operation, he became one of “Israel's” most wanted individuals.