Yahya Sinouar: Hamas leader killed by Israeli strike in Gaza

An emblematic figure of the Islamist movement

Yahya Sinouar, who took over the leadership of Hamas last August after the death of Ismail Haniyeh, was announced dead by the Israeli authorities following a strike in Gaza. A key figure in the movement for many years, Sinouar was particularly targeted by Israel for his role in the tragic attacks of October 7, which killed around 1,200 people in Israel. The Israeli Foreign Minister called Sinouar a “mass murderer”, claiming that he was responsible for the atrocities committed that day.

Israeli authorities confirmed that Sinouar’s body had been identified through dental photographs, although further checks are underway. Previously, the Israeli army had carried out an operation in a building in Gaza, where three people were killed. Drones were used to examine the bodies, one of which resembled Sinouar.

A career marked by resistance and repression

Born in 1962 in the Khan Younès refugee camp, Sinouar joined Hamas in 1987, where he quickly became head of an armed wing dedicated to fighting Israeli informers. After an arrest in 1989 on serious charges, he served 23 years in prison before being released in 2011. He then rose through the ranks of Hamas, becoming the organization’s leader in Gaza in 2017. His meteoric rise and actions as a leader have made him a priority target for Israeli forces.