Old picture of young Yahya Sinwar goes viral after his assassination

The Palestinian resistance group Hamas and the people of Gaza are mourning the loss of their political chief, Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israel during a military operation in Rafah on Wednesday.

The Israeli army initially announced it was investigating the possibility of Sinwar's death in Gaza.

Later, Israeli media confirmed that it had killed the Hamas leader.

However, the development was not confirmed by Hamas till the filing of this news on Friday.

Following his death, an old image of Sinwar went viral on social media, in which the slain leader was seen posing for the picture with a smile on his face.

The image has sparked an outpouring of emotions, with many reflecting on Sinwar's life and legacy.

“You walk to the beach at sunset, and you see all these teenagers on the shore chatting and wondering what the world looks like across the sea. What life looks like. It's breaking. And should break everybody. I want them free.”

— Yahya Sinwar, 2018

Liberation becomes… pic.twitter.com/G8RHq8VlWA

— HAYDAR (@chronicalihere) October 17, 2024

Sinwar was selected as Hamas head after the killing of former chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

He previously served as the Hamas' Gaza chief, a position that cemented his reputation as a key figure in the organisation. 

His assassination was hailed by Israel and the United States, who considered him as their "biggest enemy" after Haniyeh.

Reacting to the incident, US President Joe Biden said that "it is good for Israel, the United States, and the world".

In a written statement, Netanyahu's close aide said that Sinwar's death removes a significant obstacle to achieving a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal.

"There is now the opportunity for a 'day after' in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike." 

Following the confirmation of the 62-year-old Palestinian fighter's death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the killing of Sinwar was the "beginning of the end" of the bombardment in Gaza.

“Yahya Sinwar is dead. He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces,” the war crimes convicted leader said in a video statement released on Friday.

“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end," he added.

Born on October 19, 1962, in Khan Younis's refugee camp, Sinwar was a key figure in Hamas. He received his primary education in Khan Younis and obtained a bachelor's degree in Arabic from the Islamic University of Gaza.

He spent 23 years in Israeli prisons before being released through a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in 2011.

In September 2015, the US added Sinwar's name to the blacklist of international terrorists. He was elected head of Hamas' political wing in the Gaza Strip in 2017, replacing Ismail Haniyeh.

He was also given the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Younis" by Israel.