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The radical Islamic Hamas has been making a name for itself again since Saturday. The terrorist militias have attacked Israel with rockets, killing and kidnapping civilians. But who is behind the extremist Palestinian organization?
1
Mohammed Deif
The number one military leader in Hamas is 58-year-old Mohammed Deif. He is the head of the Al-Qassam Brigades. On Saturday, the commander said Hamas had decided to put an end to Israeli “crimes.” He leads the military operation ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ – as Hamas calls the attack.
Deif has been considered the number one terrorist on the Israeli hit list for years. He is accused of involvement in numerous bloody attacks on Israelis.
Israel is said to have tried to kill him at least seven times. But all attacks failed, the Times of Israel reports. But in 2002, Deif lost an eye. During further Israeli attacks in the following years, he lost an arm and both legs.
In August 2014, his wife and two of his children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on the Gaza Strip during the last Gaza war. Immediately afterwards, Hamas announced that Deif had survived. Apparently it’s not that easy to catch him; he is considered a “phantom”.
2
Jahia Sinwar
Hamas is not only the largest Islamic militant group among Palestinians, but also one of the two main political parties. She has the only voice in the Gaza Strip. The political head and ruler there is Jahia Sinwar (61).
Sinwar grew up in a refugee camp in Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. While in an Israeli prison at a young age, he made contact with other militants. Since then he has been regarded as a radical ideologue.
He would have been in prison until the end of his days had he not been released in a controversial prisoner swap of 1,027 Palestinians for Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit (37) in 2011. Sinwar was sentenced to four life sentences for his involvement in the kidnapping and murder of 19-year-old soldier Nachshon Wachsmann in 1994.
At Hamas, Sinwar initially worked in the security service. He is now the second most powerful man in the organization.
Israel wants him dead too. “Jahia Sinwar is the commander of the campaign, and he is a dead man,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said recently.
Sinwar would even die voluntarily for Palestine, as he emphasized five years ago. ‘We are ready to die. And tens of thousands are willing to do that with us.”
So far, Israel has failed to eliminate Sinwar. After one such failed attempt, the Palestinian publicly announced that he would walk through Gaza City for an hour. The Israeli army should try to capture him. During his walk he took selfies with local residents.
As the “Tages-Anzeiger” writes, Sinwar may have worked on the attack plan together with Deif.
3
Ismail Haniya
Ismail Hanija (61) is even higher in the Hamas hierarchy than Gaza boss Sinwar. In 2017 he was elected head of Hamas.
After the attacks began on Saturday, the head of the Politburo made an ominous announcement: “This storm, which started in the Gaza Strip, will spread to the West Bank and all places outside the country where there are members of our people and our nation. “
However, he himself does not live in Gaza, but in Qatar and Turkey. The US placed the father of 13 children on the global terrorist list in 2018. Haniya maintains close ties with Iran and refuses to recognize Israel as a state.
More information about the war in Israel can be found in our ticker.
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
