One of the key figures involved in shaping the fate of Gaza was Yahya Sinvar. Sinvar was at the helm of Hamas in Gaza. After the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, he took over the leadership of the entire Hamas administration. Sinvar, who spent 23 years in prison in Israel, was considered the person who knew Israel best. It was said he approved the October 7 attack because he knew what it meant to be imprisoned in Israel. Some saw him as the man who “took us back to the stone age,” while others saw him as a source of pride. Yahya Sinvar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, was a very popular figure on the Palestinian streets, especially in Gaza where he was born, raised, and eventually became the leader. Those who knew him described him as a charismatic figure who easily established authority, was quick-tempered, and spoke little. Sinvar, also known by the codename “Abu Ibrahim,” was born in a refugee camp in Khan Yunis, located in southern Gaza, in 1962. He emerged on the political scene in the early 1980s as the man who whispered to Hamas founder Sheikh Ahmed Yasin. He joined the organization when Hamas, the “Islamic Resistance Movement,” was established in 1987. Sinvar took part in the formation of Hamas’ military wing, the “Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.” Within Hamas, Yahya Sinvar gained notoriety for his brutality. He was responsible for the organization’s internal security apparatus, which was tasked with eliminating those accused of collaboration. According to reports, Sinvar was said to have burned alive someone accused of collaboration in front of their brothers. Due to the violence he inflicted, some Palestinians referred to him as the “Khan Yunis Butcher.” In 1989, during the peak of the First Intifada, he fell into Israeli captivity. At that time, Hamas was a small Islamic militant group that had emerged in Gaza. Sinvar was interrogated by Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet and tried by a secret military court. He was sentenced to life in prison for the deaths of 12 Palestinians. While serving his sentence in an Israeli prison, Sinvar assumed an influential role within the organization’s hierarchy. He became the leader of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. According to Israeli intelligence assessments, he was ruthless, authoritarian, and influential. He had the ability to sway the masses. During his 23-year imprisonment in Israel, Yahya Sinvar learned Hebrew. He read books by leading Israeli figures such as Vladimir Jabotinsky, Menachem Begin, and Yitzhak Rabin. Miča Kobi, who interrogated Sinvar, would later say that Sinvar had “learned us from head to toe.” In 2011, Israel released 1,000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who had been kidnapped by Hamas five years earlier. Yahya Sinvar was among those released. In 2017, he was elected as the leader of Hamas in Gaza, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh. Under his leadership, changes were observed in Hamas’ actions. Border protests, arson balloons, and rocket firings began during his tenure. He also conducted indirect negotiations with Israel through Egypt, Qatar, and the UN. Through these negotiations, he managed to secure some concessions from Israel. Qatar provided increased support and Israel granted thousands of work permits to Palestinians. In 2021, Sinvar managed to retain his position despite facing former rivals in a second round of elections. According to some analysts, this election was likely a turning point for him. Just a few months after the election, an 11-day war broke out between Israel and Hamas. According to Israel, Yahya Sinvar was primarily responsible for the attack on Israel on October 7. Therefore, Israel targeted him as the primary objective of its assault on Gaza. Prior to October 7, Yahya Sinvar was already at the top of Israel’s most-wanted list. The Israeli media dubbed Sinvar as”Dead Man Walking.”