The Israeli dentist who saved Yahya Sinwar’s life and then lost his nephew in the October 7 attacks

To understand this campaign of violence, it is important to know about his time spent in Sinwar jail. It is commemorated by several articles published in ‘The New York Times’ and ‘The New Yorker’, which described the terrorist’s experiences during the more than twenty years—from 1989 to 2011—that he spent behind bars. . In this context, the testimony of the Israeli doctor is very important. yuval bittonOne of the medical officers of the prison where he served his sentence. In 2004, an ailing Sinwar sought help because he was suffering from intense pain in the back of his neck and could barely stand, with Bitton saying his symptoms reminded him of a brain tumor. Due to his warning, Sinwar was admitted to an Israeli hospital and managed to save himself. However, in a tragic twist of fate, Bitton’s nephew became one of the victims of the October 7 attacks, which were planned by the man his uncle had saved two decades earlier.

“He told me he owed me his life,” Bitton recalled in The New York Times. “I wanted him to understand how important this is in Islam,” he explained. The new bond between the two – marked by distrust, like two enemies who look at each other curiously – translated into frequent conversations, in which they drank tea and discussed, for example, issues related to Hamas and the rift in Israeli society. Argued. About which Sinwar was particularly curious.

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From Bitton’s testimony, and other information gathered by American media, it is concluded that Sinwar decided to use his years in prison as a training period. In fact, he learned to speak Hebrew and translated secret biographies of Israeli intelligence officers, as revealed by the discovery of a notebook in his cell, the pages of which were filled with careful handwriting. His purpose was to become familiar with the agents’ procedures and communicate them to his fellow soldiers. “They wanted prison to be a grave for us, a mill where we grind our will, determination and body. But, thank God, with faith in our cause, we transformed prisons into sanctuaries of worship and academies of study,” Sinwar confessed in an interview, according to The New York Times.

The imprisonment strengthened Sinwar’s leadership and reputation among his followers. His fame was already terrible. Born in 1948 into a family of displaced persons, he very early contacted Hamas, where he was appointed to direct the security service. Al MajdA branch of repression that punished all Palestinians who showed themselves close to the Israelis. In prison, his reputation grew stronger as a resolute man who became a terror to all who felt tempted by condemnation. But, at the same time, he also became a darling of those who regarded him as a leader without any cracks.

According to ‘The New York Times’, Sinwar was stubborn: “He was willing to pay a high price for his principles,” Bitton said, “even if the price was not proportionate to the objective.” He once tried to lead more than 1,500 Hamas prisoners into a hunger strike in protest of two prisoners whose solitary confinement they considered excessive. In fact, Israel had accused him of stopping talks in favor of a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and the terrorist organization.

His departure, condemnation of Adar

Sinwar’s four life sentences put him in prison for life, even Bitton believed. However, the power he wielded from his cell led him to offer to kidnap Israeli soldiers in exchange for Hamas prisoners. In 2006, two Israeli Army soldiers were killed and another abducted in an attack by militants from the terrorist group through a tunnel from Gaza: Gilad ShalitSocial pressure in Israel ultimately led Tel Aviv to accept the exchange of more than a thousand Palestinians for soldiers in 2011.

Sinwar’s rise within Hamas to become leader of the Islamist movement in 2017 was shocking. He waited patiently until Israel faced an internal crisis to launch an unprecedented offensive. When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was at his worst, being publicly interrogated and under jurisprudential scrutiny, Sinwar carried out the October 7 attacks, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and captured another 250. . Bitton acknowledged that Sinwar had warned him, that he would take advantage of the moment of division in Israel.

Kibbutz Nir Oz faced one of several terrorist groups that came to Israel that day. To the worst fate of Dr. Bitton, his nephew was named tamir adar And a farmer by profession, disappeared. Six months later they learned that Hamas had kidnapped him.

As a result of the unlikely relationship between Bittan and Sinwar, Adar’s mother and the doctor’s sister are tempted to contact the terrorist leader. However, the impossibility of exchanging phone numbers, despite Sinwar’s requests, prompted him to appeal to the perceived respect between them in order to protect them from abuse. According to American media, Bitton said, “In my opinion, I would treat him the same way I did, saving his life despite being the enemy.” Although Israeli Intelligence revealed that Sinwar was concerned about Adar’s health, it was later revealed that the young man had been injured while defending the kibbutz and died during transfer to Gaza.

Looking back, Bitton admitted that he could not have done things differently. However, according to the ‘New York Times’, the question with which the doctor was approached in parallel to the interview is appropriate: “Why did you save him?”