Ruthless, like his brother Yahya. Mohammed Sinwar49 years old, is a feared figure among the Palestinians of Gaza. And those who talk about him hide behind anonymity: «He is capable of killing without hesitation, he is a frightening figure. People looked at the ground when they passed, for fear they might misinterpret a look. And react. No one to Gaza dare to contradict him.”
Like the brother killed byIdf to Rafah«he only understands power and violence, and this is the legacy he left him Yahya». A legacy that many observers bet can also translate into the group’s leadership. Although many unknowns remain regarding the succession of the butcher of Gaza. And there are several possible names. First of all that of Khaled Meshaalwhich already at the death of Hanyeh was given as the designated, only to then be discarded for Sinwar. Meshaal68 years old, originally from West Bank and for years a refugee in Qatarhowever, does not seem to have – according to analysts – the influence and authority of the past over the operational managers and managers who remained in Gaza.
Mohammed instead he played a key role in orchestrating the attack of October 7making him one of the most sought after figures in Gaza. Considered one of the architects of the massacre, he effectively succeeded Mohammed Deifthe ‘ghost of Hamas‘ killed two months ago and believed to be the mastermind of the massacre at the festival Nova and in kibbutz.
The brothers Sinwar they have much in common, including the nickname ‘Abu Ibrahim’, after their father Ibrahim. Mohammed has been a trusted confidant of Yahyaone of the few who knew of his whereabouts. His role first emerged in 2005, when Hamas broke his traditional secrecy and revealed the identities of seven commanders of attacks on Israeli and US forces.Idfindicating him as the head of the Khan Younis Brigade. Already at the time Israel tried to assassinate him several times: with snipers, with a double raid on his house and with a bomb in the wall of his home. All failed.
One of his main operations was to organize the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, which led to the prisoner exchange in which the brother was freed Yahya. «Mohammed he became an important figure in the military wing of Hamas. When Yahya Sinwar he was in cell in Israelhe trusted that Mohammed had control over Shalit», he said some time ago Yuval Bitonwho before being head of intelligence in the prison where he was detained Sinwar he was a doctor and dentist in the penitentiary (contributing to the biometric samples that allowed the crossing of the DNA to identify the body).
Mohammed was born in Khan Younis and was among the first recruits of Hamasparticipating in the First Intifada. Rumors circulated several times that he had been killed and his name had disappeared, only to reappear in May 2022, in a short 30-second interview with Al Jazeeraso much so that some media spoke of him as “he who returned from the dead”.