Latest news with #Izzal-Dinal-QassamBrigades
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Mohammed Sinwar, defiant Hamas leader who took over the terror group after the death of brother Yahya
Mohammed Sinwar, who has been killed by Israeli bombs aged 49, was the younger brother and successor of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, the Palestinian political and military organisation in the Gaza Strip. His older brother Yahya Sinwar was the architect of the appalling October 7 terrorist attack on Israel of 2023, in which more than 1,200 were killed, thousands injured and 251 abducted to Gaza. Following that Hamas attack, Israel mobilised its forces, embarking on an all-out war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip to destroy the organisation, kill its leaders, and release the Israeli hostages. On October 16 2024, the Israelis killed Yahya Sinwar. Mohammed subsequently succeeded his elder brother as Hamas leader and head of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas; with that, Mohammed Sinwar became the most senior Hamas figure in the Gaza Strip. As the new leader of Hamas, Mohammed Sinwar initiated a new recruitment programme aimed at rebuilding units, many of which were destroyed by Israel in the war. He also attempted to use the hostages still in Hamas's hands to negotiate an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. In the indirect negotiations with Israel, Mohammed Sinwar has shown himself to be as stubborn as his late older sibling. 'Hamas is in a very strong position to dictate the cease-fire terms,' he wrote in a message to mediators in Doha, Qatar. And in another defiant message, he said: 'If it is not a comprehensive deal [with Israel] that ends the sufferings of all Gazans and justifies their blood and sacrifices, Hamas will continue its fight.' Mohammed Ibrahim Hassan al-Sinwar was born on September 16 1975, one of two children, in the Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, at a time when the Strip was under Israeli rule, following its occupation in the 1967 Six-Day War. Mohammed's parents, who lived in Al-Majdal Asqalan, Palestine (now Ashkelon in Israel), became refugees in the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, seeking refuge in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar grew up in Khan Younis, where he attended primary and secondary school for boys. At the age of 16, during the first intifada, the Palestinian uprising against the Israelis, Mohammed joined the Hamas movement, which called for the destruction of Israel, becoming a member of the group's military wing, the Qassam Brigades. He was arrested by the Israeli authorities because of terrorist activities and was sent to prison for nine months; upon his release, the young Sinwar upped his militaristic activities with Hamas, taking part in several deadly terror attacks against Israel. As a staunch opponent of the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority, Mohammed Sinwar was also arrested by them, sent to a Palestinian jail for three years, but managed to escape from jail in 2000. In 2005, after 38 years in the Gaza Strip, the Israelis withdrew from there, which, in turn, strengthened Hamas as it enabled them to operate more easily. Subsequently, breaking its traditional secrecy, Hamas disclosed the names of seven of its top commanders in the Gaza Strip; one of them, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, turned out to be Mohammed Sinwar. In an interview about the Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Sinwar said: 'Inshallah, this is the beginning of the full liberation of the lands of Palestine.' In June 2006, Mohammed Sinwar masterminded a cross-border attack on an Israeli military post, capturing Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Hamas kept Shalit in captivity for five years and, following indirect negotiations with the Netanyahu government, Hamas agreed to release Shalit on October 18 2011 in exchange for 1,026 Palestinian prisoners; one of those released was a certain Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed's elder brother, the future Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip and the brain behind the October 7 attack on Israel. Seeing how Mohammed Sinwar turned into an influential figure in Hamas, the Israelis tried on several occasions to assassinate him, using snipers, missiles and bombs planted in his garden wall. After one of these failed assassination attempts, Mohammed Sinwar said: 'These assassinations cause short shocks to those who oppose the [Israeli] occupation. But if the occupation thinks that it will paralyse [us], then it is not going to happen.' He added: 'My life now is different than my previous life … [I] must adapt to a life of isolation from the outer world and find ways to fill up [my] time ... Each move must be calculated and planned … [to evade assassinations] one must be very alert at all times.' In 2014, in an attempt to stop the Israelis' efforts to kill Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas announced that he had died by Israeli fire on a residential complex: they even produced a fake photo of him covered in blood. In February 2017, his big brother Yahya Sinwar was elected leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, replacing Ismail Haniyeh, in what was seen as a victory for hardline militancy. Operating behind the scenes, a habit which earned him the nickname 'The Shadow', Mohammed Sinwar said in a rare 2022 interview with Al Jazeera, his face hidden, that most Gazans would not recognise him because he was so unknown. To maintain secrecy, he had skipped his father's funeral, and said in the interview: 'For us, shooting rockets at Tel Aviv is easier than sipping water.' Mohammed Sinwar was a close confidant of Yahya and was one of a handful of top Hamas terrorists who knew about the October 7 attack in advance. During the subsequent war, Mohammed Sinwar was one of the few who knew the whereabouts of Yahya and where he was hiding. In December 2023, two months after the outbreak of the Gaza War, the IDF released rare footage of Mohammed Sinwar, accompanied by bodyguards, and sitting in a Jeep, inspecting a Gaza tunnel; this footage showed how involved he was in the running of the war. Israel placed a $300,000 (about £223,000) bounty on any information about his whereabouts. On May 13 2025, Israeli aeroplanes dropped tons of explosives on an underground site near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, targeting a Hamas command and control facility where Israeli intelligence believed Mohammed Sinwar was staying. For some time his fate was unknown, but on May 28 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Mohammed Sinwar was dead. He was married and had three children. Mohammed Sinwar, born September 16 1975, died May 13 2025 Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Roya News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Red Cross receives U.S.-"Israeli" captive Edan Alexander
The International Committee of the Red Cross received US-"Israeli" captive Edan Alexander, May 12, after Hamas announced his release as part of ongoing ceasefire negotiations with the United States. In a statement issued yesterday, Abu Obaida, the spokesperson for Hamas' armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed the move: 'The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades announced on Monday, May 12, 2025, that they had decided to release soldier with an American citizenship Edan Alexander.' His release comes amid a renewed US-brokered effort to reach a ceasefire agreement that would end the seven-month 'Israeli' assault on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and a deepening humanitarian crisis. On Sunday, Hamas announced it would release Alexander as a 'goodwill gesture' in talks involving Washington. The group has consistently tied the release of captives to a broader agreement that includes a permanent ceasefire, the withdrawal of 'Israeli' forces, and the return of displaced Palestinians to their homes. US President Donald Trump welcomed the news, expressing optimism that more progress could follow.
Roya News
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Roya News
Hamas issues statement on US-'Israeli' captive Edan Alexander
Hamas will release US-'Israeli' captive Edan Alexander today, Monday, as announced by the group's military spokesperson Abu Obaida. 'The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades announced on Monday, May 12, 2025, that they had decided to release Zionist soldier with an American citizenship Edan Alexander,' Abu Obaida said in a statement. On Sunday, Hamas announced it would release Alexander, as part of talks with the United States towards a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. Donald Trump celebrated the announcement, with the US president saying he hoped all captives would be released and fighting ended.
Middle East Eye
26-04-2025
- Middle East Eye
Israeli guards torturing Palestinian prisoner Abdullah Barghouti, family says
Prominent Palestinian prisoner Abdullah Barghouti has endured ongoing severe physical abuse at the hands of Israeli prison guards, according to his family. Barghouti, who also holds Jordanian citizenship, has been detained since 2003 and has faced harsh conditions throughout his incarceration. However, his family reports that the abuse has intensified since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza in October 2023. Barghouti, a member of Hamas' armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is serving the longest prison sentence in Israeli custody, having been sentenced to 67 life terms for masterminding bombings that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Israelis. He has remained one of the key figures Israel has refused to release in prisoner exchange talks with Hamas. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters On Friday, his daughter, Tala Barghouti, posted on Facebook, revealing the 'horrific' daily abuse her father is subjected to. She described how, after other prisoners were removed from his cell, Barghouti was tortured for hours using brutal methods, including iron rods and belts. She shared that the beatings left severe physical marks on his body, causing multiple fractures, excruciating pain and an inability to stand or move. 'The lawyer left the visit with tears in her eyes, unable to convey the shock and anguish she witnessed' - Tala Barghouti, Abdullah Barghouti's daughter "The lawyer left the visit with tears in her eyes, unable to convey the shock and anguish she witnessed. It encapsulated the daily torment of a prisoner whose dignity is being crushed without mercy," Tala Barghouti wrote. The prisoner is also reportedly suffering from painful, untreated open wounds, with no medical care provided. His fellow inmates have been forced to sterilise his wounds with dishwashing liquid due to the absence of proper medical treatment. Barghouti is unable to sleep lying down because of the severity of his injuries, and his weight has reportedly dropped to just 70kg. His family has urged the Jordanian government, the Jordanian embassy and the foreign ministry to take immediate action to save his life. Lawyer and family visits denied Faida Barghouti, the prisoner's wife, told Middle East Eye that the lawyer's most recent visit to her husband on Wednesday left her shocked by his deteriorating health. She revealed that he had been subjected to a brutal beating on Palestinian Prisoners' Day, 17 April. She explained that Barghouti had been struck in his eyes and hands, rendering them immobile and appearing to be broken. Despite the severity of his injuries, he has not received any medical treatment. Israel systematically abusing Palestinian detainees in 'torture camps', says B'Tselem Read More » Barghouti is currently incarcerated in Gilboa Prison, where he was transferred in December 2023. "My husband has been severely beaten several times, but we never hear from him because lawyers are banned from visiting him. It takes at least three months to receive a response to their visit request, whether it's approved or rejected, and often the request is denied," she said. Throughout his 23 years of imprisonment, Barghouti has spent most of his time in solitary confinement and has been denied family visits. "We used to receive news of him from released prisoners. We only managed to visit him five times in 23 years, and his father, who passed away in January 2024, saw him just once," Faida added. The family is in contact with various human rights organisations, hoping to pressure Israel into providing Barghouti with the necessary medical care. However, they say these efforts have proven futile, as Israel seems determined to target him personally. There are currently more than 9,900 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, including 27 women and over 400 minors. All are imprisoned under harsh conditions that have worsened since October 2023, including torture, denial of food and medical care, and humiliation. At least 60 prisoners have died as a result of these conditions over the past 17 months, marking an unprecedented escalation in mistreatment.
Asharq Al-Awsat
20-04-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Hamas Stresses Acceptance of Dedicated Committee to Manage Gaza
The Hamas movement reiterated on Saturday its willingness to reach a comprehensive agreement that would include a full prisoner exchange in return for a ceasefire, an Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, and the start of reconstruction efforts. In a statement, it expressed readiness to immediately implement an Egyptian proposal to form a special committee of independent figures to manage Gaza following such an agreement. The statement also confirmed that a Hamas delegation, led by senior official Mohammed Darwish, met in Türkiye with Turkish intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin. Kalin reiterated Ankara's support for the Palestinian cause and its solidarity with the Palestinian people. He also emphasized his country's firm rejection of Israeli expansionist policies and any new attempts at occupation or annexation, said Hamas. Separately, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas' military wing, announced Saturday that the fate of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander remains unknown. In a statement, Qassam spokesperson Abu Ubaida said: 'We managed to recover the body of a martyr who was tasked with guarding the prisoner Edan Alexander. The fate of the prisoner, along with the other captive fighters, is still unknown.' Hamas said on Tuesday that it had lost contact with the group holding Alexander after Israeli forces bombed the location in Gaza where he was believed to be held. Alexander, a 21-year-old Israeli soldier from New Jersey, has been held hostage by Hamas. 'We are trying to protect all the captives and preserve their lives despite the brutality of the aggression,' Abu Ubaida said. 'But their lives are in danger due to the enemy army's criminal bombardment.' He again accused the Israeli military of being responsible for the deaths of hostages — an allegation Israel has denied, instead blaming Hamas for killing those in its custody. Alexander's case was reportedly a key point of discussion in recent talks between Hamas leaders and US Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs, Adam Boehler, held last month. In a related development, the Qassam Brigades published a video on Telegram showing an Israeli hostage alive. The video, lasting more than four minutes, shows the hostage seated in a confined space, speaking in Hebrew over the phone with family members and a friend, pleading with them to continue efforts to secure his release.
