“This Will Increase Our Movement”: Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Killed In Combat

by Aysha Qamar

Hamas has officially announced the killing of prominent Palestinian political figure and leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday. Sinwar was killed in combat with the Israeli occupation, fighting for his country’s liberation until his last breath. He has been leading the resistance after the killing of former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.

According to Reuters, in addition to confirming his identity through drone footage, Israeli military used fingerprints and DNA testing to verify Sinwar’s death – DNA they were able to obtain while having Sinwar detained in prison for 22 years.

Khalil al-Hayya, head of Hamas in Gaza, made a public address to announce Sinwar’s martyrdom. In a statement Hayya said Sinwar’s martyrdom and the leaders who preceded him “will only increase the strength and resilience of our movement.”

“The occupation prisoners will not return unless the aggression on Gaza stops, there is a complete withdrawal from [Gaza], and our prisoners are released from the prisons,” Hayya added. “Hamas will continue until the establishment of the Palestinian state on all Palestinian soil with Jerusalem as its capital.”

Who was Yahya Sinwar?

• Family ethnically cleansed from al-Majdal Asqalan in al-Nakba in 1948
• Born in Khan Younis Refugee Camp in 1962
• Prominent Palestinian political figure for resistance against Israeli forces
• Joined Hamas when founded in 1987
• Arrested by Israel in 1988 and detained for 22 years in prison before being released in a prisoner exchange in 2011
• Leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip since 2017
• Became overall Hamas leader after assassination of Ismail Haniyeh
• Fought until his death as seen in last drone footage

Reposted from Muslim