Believed to be ‘the mastermind’ behind the October 7th attack on southern Israel, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in an IDF attack in Gaza in October 2024. So who was he and how did he rise to power?

Three observers, including one who has met Sinwar, grapple with the factors that led to the man and the leader he became.

This episode was recorded before Yahya Sinwar was killed.

Guests:

Ben Wedeman - CNN senior international correspondent
Khaled Hroub - Professor of Middle Eastern studies at Northwestern University in Qatar
Michael Koubi - Former chief interrogator for Shin Bet, Israel's security service

Producers: Zoe Ferguson and Linda Lopresti

Executive Producer: Amruta Slee

Sound Engineer: John Jacobs

Dictators & Demagogues 02: Yahya Sinwar