Who was Yahya Sinwar, the ‘Butcher of Khan Younis’?

Israel on Thursday announced that it was currently probing the possibility of the death of Hamas chief leader Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to have spearheaded the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to the war in Gaza.

Earlier today, the Israel Defense Forces eliminated three unidentified terrorists during an ongoing operation in Gaza, an official statement said. If Yahya Sinwar's death is confirmed, it could have a significant impact on Israel's ongoing offensive against Hamas.

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It is also unclear who would replace Sinwar if his killing is confirmed and what would that mean for ceasefire efforts in Gaza.

Who is Yahya Sinwar in 10 points?

1- Yahya Sinwar was the chief of the militant outfit Hamas. He took over as the head of Hamas after the previous leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Iran during the war with Israel.

2- Yahya Sinwar was born in 1962 in a Gaza refugee camp and was involved with Hamas from its early days and led the group's security wing, focusing on eliminating informants for Israel.

3- Yahya Sinwar earned the name “The Butcher of Khan Younis” after he was arrested by Israel in the late 1980s and admitted to killing 12 suspected collaborators.

4- Sinwar has been sentenced to four life terms for various offenses, including the killing of two Israeli soldiers.

5- Reportedly, Sinwar also survived brain cancer in 2008 after treatment by Israeli doctors.

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6- In 2011, he was among more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners released by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu in exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas.

7- Yahya Sinwar is believed to have been behind the 2016 killing of another top Hamas commander, Mahmoud Ishtewi.

8- Sinwar, along with Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas' armed wing, is believed to have orchestrated the sudden deadly attacks on Israel on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 Israelis.

9- Yahya Sinwar has been in hiding since the October 7 Israel attacks and his death is yet to be confirmed.

10- Sinwar's trackers suspect that he left all forms of electronic devices to avoid getting tracked by Israeli intelligence.

(With AP inputs)

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