Yahya Sinwar's son wrote letter containing violent imagery

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released a handwritten letter written by Ibrahim Sinwar, the 10-year-old son of the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. The document, recovered by Israeli soldiers in Gaza, contains a mix of personal affection for his father and violent imagery.

In the letter, Ibrahim expresses a deep longing for his father’s return, stating, “Beloved father, I miss you very much!” The child also describes making models of pistols, tanks, and Kalashnikov rifles out of paper and cardboard. The letter includes specific references to a desire to “hold a Kalashnikov, and shoot Jews.”

Accompanying the text are drawings of assault rifles, rockets being launched, and Israeli tanks near the Gaza border fence. The IDF stated that the letter serves as an illustration of how Sinwar’s ideology has influenced his children and reflects the broader impact of Hamas’ glorification of violence on younger generations in Gaza. Yahya Sinwar, the architect of the October 7, 2023, attacks, was killed by Israeli troops in Rafah in October 2024.