Yahya Sinwar
Yahya Sinwar (1962–2024) was born in a refugee camp in Gaza and grew up under harsh conditions that shaped his national consciousness. He became an early leader in Hamas, founded its internal security wing Majd , and spent 23 years in Israeli prisons before being released in 2011. After his release, he quickly rose through the ranks, becoming Hamas's leader in Gaza in 2017. Sinwar was the chief architect behind the October 7, 2023 “Al-Aqsa Flood” attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war. He was killed in Rafah in October 2024 and is remembered as a pivotal yet controversial figure in the history of the Palestinian resistance.