Since Yahya Sinwar took over, Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, has intensified its aggressive actions and reportedly resumed suicide bombings for the first time in 20 years.
According to a report by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on Wednesday, citing Arab intelligence sources, Sinwar recently instructed Hamas operatives that it was time to resume suicide bombings.
Shortly after this directive, a Palestinian man carrying a blue backpack filled with explosives entered Tel Aviv, Israel. The bomb detonated prematurely, killing the attacker instantly, but the WSJ noted, “This attack sent an undeniable message.”
Sinwar, who became Hamas’s leader after the death of Ismail Haniyeh on July 31, is classified as a hardliner within the organization. He was the mastermind of the deadly October 7 operation last year, in which Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing over 1,200 people, including women and children, and kidnapping around 250 others.
Hamas had largely abandoned suicide bombings in the early 2000s due to growing international backlash and Israel’s improved intelligence operations. However, under Sinwar’s leadership, these tactics have resurfaced. An anonymous Arab intelligence official told the WSJ that while some senior Hamas figures had concerns about returning to suicide bombings, none have voiced opposition since Sinwar’s rise to power.
Sinwar and Haniyeh had worked together to strengthen ties between Hamas and Iran, but their political differences often led to internal friction. Sinwar’s hardline stance, which accepts civilian casualties as part of the conflict with Israel, contrasts with moderates like Haniyeh, who sought to balance Hamas’s military operations with a push for legitimacy as a political entity.
Sinwar has mocked moderate figures by referring to them as “hotel men,” a jab at their luxurious lifestyle in Doha, Qatar, away from Gaza. While moderates publicly praised Sinwar for the October 7 attack, many privately deride him as “arrogant” or a “political amateur” who has lost perspective after spending 22 years in prison.
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