Meet Mohammed Sinwar, the potential new Hamas leader: "He is capable of killing without hesitation"

Israel recently announced the death of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the architect behind the October 7 attack. His death was confirmed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which also reported that two other terrorists were killed in the operation. Sinwar's death opened immediate speculation about who would take his place, and all roads seem to point to Mohammed Sinwar, his brother.

"People would look at the ground when he walked by, afraid of how he might interpret even a glance,” Gazans said about Sinwar. He is 49 and has maintained a relatively low profile. Given his rare public appearances, he is emerging as the new Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip.

Like his brother, he is believed to have played a key role during the events of October 7. He has also overseen terrorist attacks and torture in Hamas prisons.

The new Hamas leader in Gaza?

Mohammed Sinwar was born in Khan Younis and was an early recruit to the Hamas terrorist group and even involved in the First Intifada. As for his background, he grew up under the ideological influence of Hamas co-founder, Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi.

He was imprisoned for several months in Israel before he was transferred to a Palestinian Authority prison where he spent three years before escaping in 2000.

After years of terrorist activity, his low profile was broken in 2005 when the group released the identities of the seven commanders who led attacks against the IDF. Sinwar was part of this group, specifically as commander of the Khan Younis Brigade.

One of the most consequential operations he carried out in this role was the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, which he later exchanged for the release of his older brother, Yahya.

He managed to survive three assassination attempts: one by snipers, one through airstrike against his house and the third with an explosive hidden in the wall of his house. 

The last of the assassination attempts was in 2014 with Operation Protective Margin. In the hours that followed, there were strong rumors about his possible death. There were even images allegedly showing his corpse.

Sinwar survived and remained in hiding for eight years until he reappeared in May 2022 in an interview with the news outlet Al Jazeera.

"When we issue warnings to the occupation or send a message, we mean every word, and every letter has weight and impact on the ground. (...) Precise and focused efforts have been made to establish this, and important equations have been set. When we say this, we know how to identify the occupation’s soft spots and how to press them. We have succeeded in setting important equations, and the enemy calculates its actions accordingly," he said at the time.

"He is feared because he is capable of killing without hesitation"

Some sources in Gaza told Ynetnews that Sinwar inspires "respect" and "terror" among the inhabitants.

"He’s feared as a man capable of killing without hesitation. This family is known for its hot temper, and Mohammed, in particular, is a frightening figure," one of the sources told the news outlet.

"He has been involved in numerous executions of collaborators, as well as brutal interrogations and torture in Hamas prisons. When Mohammed scolds someone, they are paralyzed with fear. No one in Gaza dares to cross him," he added.

As for how he managed to climb the terrorist group's food chain, they claim he possessed a quality his brother valued highly: loyalty.

According to Dr. Yuval Biton, former head of the Intelligence Division of Israel's prison service, Yahya Sinwar managed to consolidate his power by surrounding himself with figures he fully trusted, including his brother.

"Mohammed became an important figure in the military wing of Hamas. When Yahya Sinwar was in Israeli prison, he was confident that Mohammed had control over Shalit. Today, it is clear that Mohammed's status within the military wing grew because of his proximity to Yahya, who believes in specific individuals. Yahya doesn't look at capabilities; he looks at loyalty, and that's what drove Mohamed's rise in Hamas," Biton told Ynetnews.

At present, there is not much information about Sinwar's role within the Hamas terror network.Yoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister, mentioned this recently during a visit to the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza.

"We will eliminate Hamas and we will get to Mohammed Sinwar, as well as Yahya Sinwar. We will get to all those people, those damn terrorists. For anyone who thinks otherwise, look at Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif. They thought they were invincible and they are no longer with us. They made their mistake and he will make his too. We will complete our mission," he said.