Yahya Sinwar is at the top of Israel's most-wanted list. Here's how he rose to power.
The leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas is believed to be living deep underground in the Gaza Strip as Israel continues its attacks on the territory.
"He is the embodiment, if you like, of the Palestinian saga over the decades," says Hroub, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at Northwestern University in Qatar. Wedeman has reported from the occupied territories for three decades, which has included many visits to the Khan Yunis refugee camp. He calls it a "shanty town rather than a refugee camp". And that was before the current war.
The protagonist lives "in a flimsy, ramshackle hut where the rain poured through the roof, and his mother had to carry him around to stop him from getting wet and cold", Wedeman describes.Sinwar attended the Islamic University of Gaza to study a bachelor's degree in Arabic studies. "He was the enforcer in Gaza," Wedeman says of Sinwar, earning the nickname "the butcher of Khan Yunis".
Michael Koubi, who was the chief interrogator for Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet, interrogated Sinwar for more than 180 hours over two months. "Let's not forget, Israeli interrogation is not merely a matter of asking questions. There's often times a lot of force involved … It's widely believed torture as well."back up this assertion — accusing Israel of using torture in its interrogation practices, specifically during the time of Sinwar's early years in prison.
Israel's veteran leader, Benjamin Netanyahu has served as the country's prime minister longer than anyone else. What has made King 'Bibi' politically invincible?in a suspected Israeli attack in Tehran this year, he became the chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau, or the group's de facto leader."He was very close to most of Hamas' leaders, from Ahmed Yassin onwards. And so he had the knowledge, he had the networks, he had the supporters.
"I'm sure that he is around the area of Khan Yunis — very deep underground," Koubi says. "He has all the facilities for fresh air inside, even 80 or 90 metres underground."
Hamas Leader Gaza Khan Younis Terrorism October 7 Shin Bet Ahmed Yassin Ismail Haniyeh Khaled Hroub Ben Wedeman Michael Koubi Take Me To Your Leader
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