YAHYA Sinwar’s shadowy brother could be taking over Hamas’ leadership and bring on a worse terror reign than Gaza’s Bin Laden, an expert has warned.
As Israel swiftly wiped the terror kingpin out on Wednesday, the focus has now shifted to Mohammed Sinwar, a lesser-known but potentially more dangerous figure who could step into his older brother’s shoes.
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Mohammed Sinwar’s rise to power would bring a new level of threat, according to an Israeli official.
Yahya Sinwar, the evil mastermind behind the October 7 massacre, was seen as a relatively strategic leader compared to his brother, whose radical ideology and brutal methods are well known within the ranks of Hamas.
With his brother’s staunch support, Mohammed Sinwar has become the de facto second-in-command of Hamas’ leadership in Gaza following the deaths of top Hamas military commanders, such as Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa.
Mohammed became a trust confidant of Yahya, being one of the few people who knew where the Hamas boss was hiding during the war.
Read more on Yahya Sinwar
Because of his family connections, he also had an easy time rising to the top of Hamas without facing any suspicion of treachery from other members of the terror group.
It will not be the end if Yahya Sinwar is taken down — it will actually increase the violence.
Grisha Yakubovich
Grisha Yakubovich, a former senior Israeli military official and expert on Palestinian affairs, explained how brother Mohammed Sinwar’s rise to power poses a significant danger.
He told The Sun: “Mohammed Sinwar is just as radical, if not more, than Yahya Sinwar.
“If he takes over the leadership of Hamas, the situation could become significantly worse.”
The Sinwar brothers hail from a family deeply entrenched in Hamas leadership, with both Yahya and Mohammed having played crucial roles in the developing the terror group’s military wing.
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Mohammed, though operating largely behind the scenes, is said to have earned a reputation for being ruthless and uncompromising.
According to Yakubovich, his leadership style could push the group into even more violent confrontations with Israel.
“He’s in the top of the military wing,” Yakubovich pointed out, referring to Mohammed’s key role in Hamas’ military operations.
“He’s one of the strongest players. If Yahya is killed, Mohammed could rise quickly.”
Unlike Yahya, who has made headlines for his terror activities over the years, 49-year-old Mohammed operates more in the shadows, but his influence is undeniable, the expert said.
Israeli security forces are concerned that Mohammed, known for his ruthlessness, would escalate the conflict even further.
Yakubovich warned: “If Mohammed Sinwar comes to power, I believe it will be very problematic.
“He is much more extreme, even within the ranks of Hamas.”
This sentiment echoes fears that Mohammed, who is described as far less pragmatic than his brother, could resort to even more violent and uncompromising tactics, putting civilians at even greater risk.
Mohammed’s reputation within Hamas is that of a man who exerts total control through fear and violence.
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“His command in Khan Younis is well known,” Yakubovich said.
“He’s very radical. He can create much more violence.
“It will not be the end if Yahya Sinwar is taken down — it will actually increase the violence.”
While both Sinwar brothers share a background of militant resistance against Israel, Mohammed’s potential leadership raises the stakes of the ongoing war.
Yakubovich warned that Mohammed’s ascension could lead Hamas to employ more extreme measures, such as harming hostages or escalating terror attacks.
“He is a dangerous person who could worsen the situation, especially because of his radical views,” the official said.
The possibility of Mohammed Sinwar’s rise presents a troubling dilemma for Israel, as killing Yahya could now mean having an even more extreme figure take over.
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Who is Mohammed Sinwar?
Born in Khan Younis, Mohammed joined Hamas at an early age and took part in terror attacks during the First Intifada.
He was detained for nine months in Israel and then for three years in a jail run by the Palestinian Authority before he managed to escape in 2000.
According to a source from Gaza, the younger Sinwar was influenced ideologically by Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi, a co-founder of Hamas.
The first time Mohammed Sinwar’s participation was made public happened in 2005.
It was when Hamas broke with its custom of secrecy and released the identity of seven commanders heading assaults against Israelis and IDF forces in 2005.
Sinwar’s name was one of the seven on the list, as he held the rank of Khan Younis Brigade commander.
Israel allegedly attempted to kill him three times at the time: once with sniper fire, once with two airstrikes on his house, and once with an explosive device hidden in his wall that he discovered.
Coordinating the 2006 kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit —which ultimately resulted in the prisoner exchange agreement that saw the release of his brother Yahya — was one of Sinwar’s most important operations.
Mohammed Sinwar led the Khan Younis Brigade at the time of the kidnapping and demanded that Shalit’s release be contingent upon his brother Yahya’s freedom.
Yahya would then go on to become the leader of Hamas before his death.
Inside the twisted life of Yahya Sinwar
By Nick Parker, Foreign Editor
HIS life was saved twice by Israel – but the monster dubbed “The Hamas Bin Laden” repaid his sworn enemy by masterminding the October 7 horror.
Yahya Sinwar, 61, spent 22 years in an Israeli prison for terrorist murder and kidnap plots and spent every second honing his burning hatred for his captors.
His astonishing rise to the top of the Hamas terror tree came despite being sentenced to four life sentences in 1989 for planning the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and the murder of four Palestinians he suspected of working with Israel.
The bearded beast’s life was first saved when he was cured of cancer by an operation in a prison.
Then in 2011 he was freed, among 1,026 others, in a prisoner exchange for a single Israeli soldier in a deal that has been damned by his thousands of victims ever since.
Sinwar taught himself Hebrew and became fluent during his multiple stints as a caged man.
He began reading and studying every Israeli newspaper to probe the weak spots in his enemy’s armour.
The terror master’s deep knowledge of what makes Israelis tick led him to realise the power of the hostage-taking tactic now traumatising the strife-torn Jewish nation.
Yet despite his blood lust and bravado, the Hamas commander “cried like a baby” when he learned he had cancer, his jailer Lieutenant Betty Lahat has revealed.
