Yahya Sinwar

Profession: Politician

Biography: Yahya Sinwar is the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a position he has held since 2017. He is regarded as the mastermind behind the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which resulted in the deadliest attack in Israeli history.

Sinwar was born in 1962 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza, where his family sought refuge after their flight from Ashkelon during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. He earned a degree in Arabic Studies from the Islamic University of Gaza.

In 1988, Sinwar planned the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and the murder of four Palestinians he suspected of collaborating with Israel. He was sentenced to four life sentences in 1989 and served 22 years in prison before being released in a prisoner exchange in 2011.

Sinwar became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip in 2017. In 2018, he briefly called for "peaceful, popular resistance" against the Israeli occupation, but this position was later abandoned. He was re-elected to a second term as the head of the Hamas Gaza branch in 2021.

In May 2021, an Israeli airstrike reportedly hit Sinwar's home, but he appeared publicly several times in the following week. Sinwar is believed to be the mastermind behind the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which left around 1,200 people dead and about 240 taken as hostages in Gaza.

Following the attack, Sinwar became a top target for assassination by the Israeli military. He is presumed to be hiding in a tunnel network in Gaza.

Born: October 29, 1962
Birthplace: Khan Younis, Gaza Strip
Age: 61 years old

Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Tiger
Star Sign: Scorpio