Israeli Forces Have Hamas Leader Surrounded in Gaza City Ruins, Defense Minister Says
Israeli forces have surrounded Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas, in the ruins of Gaza City, according to Israel’s defense minister. Sinwar, 61, is believed to be the mastermind behind the October 7 terrorist attacks on southern Israel, which resulted in the death of 1,400 people and the abduction of over 240 hostages to Gaza.
Hamas, the governing body in Gaza City, is currently under siege by Israeli forces. Earlier this week, Israel’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, stated in a TV press conference that Sinwar was hiding in his bunker without contact with his associates. Gallant vowed to eliminate him, referring to Sinwar as “a dead man walking.”
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported that its troops had raided the office of Sinwar’s brother, Muhammad, on Friday. The raid resulted in the capture of military documents and the killing of 30 terrorists. Sinwar was previously imprisoned in 2011 but was released in a prisoner swap for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was being held hostage in Gaza.
Born in a Palestinian refugee camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Sinwar pursued Arabic studies at the Islamic University of Gaza. In the 1980s, he was responsible for targeting Gazans who collaborated with Israel. He spent 24 years in prison for various crimes, including the murder of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian men accused of collaborating.
Sinwar’s leadership played a central role in the planning of the October 7 attacks. Under his direction, hundreds of Hamas fighters breached the fences surrounding Gaza, committing coordinated terrorist attacks in southern Israel’s kibbutzes and towns. Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid referred to Sinwar as the “new face of evil.”
Lt. Col. Richard Hecht, a military spokesman, stated that Sinwar is a dead man walking and that Israeli forces will get to him. Sinwar is considered a key figure connecting Hamas’s politburo with its armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Israel has previously arrested Sinwar multiple times, and his release in 2011 strengthened his position within Hamas’s leadership.
Israeli forces have declared the destruction of Gaza’s leadership as their ultimate goal. They are preparing for a ground invasion of the besieged city, as thousands of Hamas militants have reportedly entrenched themselves in an extensive network of underground tunnels in northern Gaza. The IDF’s chief spokesman, Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, stated that the invasion aims to rout Hamas and eliminate its leaders after the atrocities they committed.
As tensions escalate, a security analysis predicts that the weakness of the Palestinian Authority and Israel’s inaction in undermining Hamas’s control have strengthened Sinwar and Hamas’s leadership. The analysis suggests that this will result in a heavy toll on Israel in the longer term.
