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Mohammed Sinwar, Younger Brother of Yahya, Takes Over as Hamas Leader in Gaza, Boosts Recruitment

Jan 13, 2025, 08:54 AM

Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of the late Yahya Sinwar, has been appointed as the new leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal. Previously, Mohammed led the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the militant wing of Hamas. Following Yahya Sinwar's death, Hamas initially established a collective leadership council, but Mohammed has emerged as the de facto leader. At about 50 years old, Mohammed Sinwar, also known as 'Shadow', is considered more extremist than his brother and is less known to Israeli security, having spent only brief periods in prison compared to Yahya's 23 years. Mohammed was involved in the 2005 attack that led to the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was later released in exchange for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners. Under Mohammed's leadership, Hamas has launched an aggressive recruitment drive to rebuild its forces, which have suffered heavy losses, with 17,000 fighters reportedly killed by the IDF. A retired Israeli brigadier general, Amir Avivi, noted that the pace at which Hamas is rebuilding itself under Mohammed Sinwar's management is surpassing the rate at which the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) are eradicating them. Mohammed Sinwar was also involved in organizing the attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, and current estimates suggest there are still between 20,000 to 23,000 Hamas and other group fighters in Gaza.