The professor who proposed the existence of the so-called "God particle" that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang, died on Monday following a short illness. The man who gave rise to the "God particle" that helped explain how matter formed after the Big Bang, Peter Higgs, has died at age 94, the University of Edinburgh said Tuesday. The physicist gained global recognition in 2012, when he was awarded the Nobel prize, almost 50 years after Higgs predicted the existence of a new particle, which came to be known as the Higgs boson, or the "God particle." The university where Higgs was emeritus professor said he died Monday after a short illness. Higgs' work helped scientists understand one of the most fundamental questions of how the universe was formed: how the Big Bang created something out of nothing some 13.8 billion years ago. Without mass from the Higgs, particles could not merge into the matter we interact with every day, the professor proclaimed in 1964. But it would be almost half a century before the particle's existence could be confirmed. In 2012, in one of the biggest breakthroughs in physics in decades, scientists at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, announced that they had finally found a Higgs boson using the Large Hadron Collider(LHC). Experiments at the LHC proved the Standard Model of particle physics by detecting the Higgs boson particle — a particle which itself had long proved to be elusive. What is the Higgs boson? Higgs' work showed how the boson has helped to bind the universe together and give fundamental particles their mass, crucial for the existence of all the other connected atoms in the universe.  The nickname "God particle" comes from the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Leon Lederman's book in 1993 "The Goddamn Particle: If the Universe Is the Answer, What Is the Question?" The name was later changed to "God particle" after criticism from religious institutions. The University of Edinburgh principal Professor Peter Mathieson, where Higgs was an honorary professor, referred to Higgs as a "truly gifted scientist." Mathieson emphasized that Higgs' legacy will continue to inspire many more for generations to come.

In a survey of Europe, Asia and Canada, researchers found that peer violence and cyberbullying are major problems for school-aged children — and they're getting worse. Whether it's physical or psychological, bullying and other forms of peer violence among young people are nothing new. In fact, overall trends are stable. But a study of 44 countries in Europe, central Asia and Canada indicates an increase in cyberbullying since 2018. The "Health Behaviour in School-aged Children" (HBSC) study was published March 27, 2024, by WHO/Europe (World Health Organization). It identifies "the increasing digitalization of young people's interactions" as a main cause of cyberbullying. In a same-day media release, the WHO Regional Director for Europe, Hans Kluge, said the report was "a wake-up call." "With young people spending up to six hours online every single day, even small changes in the rates of bullying and violence can have profound implications for the health and well-being of thousands," said Kluge, highlighting self-harm and suicide as possible consequences. Key findings of the study The researchers called on study participants — teenagers of 11, 13 and 15 years — to report their behavior and experiences with bullying. On average, more boys than girls admitted to inflicting violence on peers at least 2-3 times per month during "the past couple of months" (prior to the time of the survey). And overall "prevalence of cyberbullying" was highest at age 13 and "significantly higher" among boys at all ages, the study authors wrote. They noted that among the boys surveyed, 15-year-olds in Lithuania reported the highest propensity for cyberbullying others. Among girls, 13-year-olds in Romania were the most likely to engage in such behavior. On the receiving end, about one-in-10 boys and girls reported they had been bullied at school at least two or three times a month in the past couple of months. "Overall, 15% of adolescents reported being cyberbullied at least once or twice in the past couple of months (15% of boys and 16% of girls)," the study authors wrote. One-in-10 adolescents reported having been involved in physical fights at least three times in the last 12 months (14% of boys and 6% of girls). Cyberbullying: A gender issue? The researchers said they found that boys exhibited a higher tendency towards aggression and engagement in physical fights than girls. Both boys and girls revealed a similar prevalence for cyberbullying. But they found cyberbullying was on the rise among girls aged 11 and 13 years old. How does the study define cyberbullying? In the survey, researchers asked young people whether they had sent (or taken part in the sending of) "mean instant messages, wall postings or emails, or posting or sharing photos or videos online without permission." The authors said that while bullying had "traditionally" been an "in-person" form of peer violence, "virtual forms of peer violence have become particularly relevant since the onset of the […] COVID-19 pandemic, when young people's worlds became increasingly virtual during times of lockdown." Reducing cyberbullying The researchers say they hope their findings will improve understanding of adolescent bullying and peer violence across Europe, central Asia and Canada and enable experts to "target interventions effectively." That would include "gender-sensitive strategies" to tackle and reduce the problem of bullying and programs to promote digital literacy, empathy and healthy conflict resolution. In an email to DW, the HBSC's Joseph Hancock wrote: "Success requires ongoing collaboration between all stakeholders. We urge individuals, families, schools, communities, and governments to work hand-in-hand to ensure all adolescents have safe and supportive environments to flourish." The study covered more aspects of bullying than we have been able to cover in the space of this article. If you would like to read the full report, we've included a link below.

The US government is demanding that TikTok sell itself if it wants to continue operating in America. How likely is a sale, who can afford it and what are the challenges of such a takeover? For Sale: One of the world's most successful social media platforms with a billion users across 140 countries. Sounds like a good deal for someone with ambition and money. But Chinese-owned TikTok isn't just any short-video-sharing app. It is a phenomenon changing social media and how people communicate. Claims of national security concerns in the US don't make things any easier. Plus protectionist attitudes and sentiment on China in general have turned dark and Congress is moving fast to force the company's hand. US Congress in control? The US government now sees TikTok as more than entertainment — it is a news and information platform that can be used for propaganda, too. For decades, the US had restrictions on foreign ownership of traditional media like radio or cable stations; for policymakers restrictions on TikTok are a logical 21st-century consequence. On March 13, the US House of Representatives voted to force a sale of TikTok's US business within six months or have it banned from the Apple and Google app stores in the country. To become law, the bill needs Senate approval. President Joe Biden has vowed to sign it if it passes Congress. TikTok may be waiting for a knight in shining armor to save its US business. Yet the pool of available buyers is small and Elon Musk is already busy reworking X, formerly known as Twitter. Who else can they turn to? What will happen to the 170 million US users if TikTok just can't be sold? A short history in 60 seconds This isn't TikTok's first time on the possible selling block. Donald Trump tried with an executive order to force ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to sell the subsidiary to an American owner back in 2020. It seemed a deal with Oracle was close, but those efforts failed, as did an attempt to keep the app out of app stores.  Since then TikTok says it has gone to great lengths to delete the data on American users from ByteDance servers and move all that information to US-based servers, a move it calls Project Texas. This should in theory keep the data out of the hands of Chinese surveillance. Many experts like Milton Mueller, a cybersecurity expert at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, doubt there is any real security threat after having looked at all the evidence. Still, many US politicians and government intelligence and security agencies don't seem appeased and want to take it to the next level.  Who would want to buy TikTok? With all that in mind, buying all — or just the American part — of TikTok would not be a usual business transaction. It would be a geopolitical minefield. Would ByteDance still be a majority shareholder calling the shots in the background? Who would run and update its powerful algorithm? Mueller, who looks at TikTok several times a week, thinks a sale is "theoretically possible but highly complicated and not likely." Adding that "China's government might not allow it, and it is unclear what is gained, or even what it means, to sell 'part' of a globally interconnected social media service." ByteDance seems ready for a legal fight. For its part, the Chinese government has been restrained. But they could try to prevent a sale by putting an export ban on the technology behind the app. Without its algorithm, TikTok would be less attractive. Besides that, it is hard to put boundaries and prevent access to something as free-flowing as an app. App stores would have to block all new downloads and updates for those who have it already.   There is also a short timeline. Mueller has talked with a number of TikTok people recently who say as a technical or operational matter divestiture doesn't work in such a short period. They would have six months, "whereas the Grindr divestiture from a different Chinese company took a year," he said. A big big-ticket item The challenges just pile up. Any ban in America would surely lead to First Amendment constitutional challenges. "It would be US users whose speech would be suppressed, not foreigners or the Chinese government," Mueller said.  Then there is the price. Several analysts think that despite all the difficulties TikTok's US business could sell for over $50 billion (€45.8 billion). There are only a few companies that could afford to spend that much like Apple, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft or Netflix. Some of these companies would then end up in the crosshairs of antitrust officials for owning too much important technology. Alternatively, all or part of TikTok could be spun off as an independent publicly listed company. Or US-based private equity giants could step in. After last week's House vote, former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, said he is working to put together a group of investors to take over the company without announcing any details. Ironically, Mnuchin was one of the people pushing for a sale four years ago while he was a member of Donald Trump's Cabinet.  It is likely not about apps at all Yet, in the end, it is not about good business or even national security says Milton Mueller. "It is a pawn in the broader US-China power competition, and it is also exploited for symbolic reasons." "Equating a commercial social media app with espionage, and calling TikTok's Singaporean CEO an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, is obviously inaccurate," but sells well to both Republicans and Democrats "who see the US as engaged in a competition with China to retain US hegemony," he said. Forcing an ownership sale would also set a dangerous precedent that could be used by other governments against US social media companies. In the end, Mueller expects such digital protectionism to lead to "less competition and innovation in the social media market." And there is always the next national security threat. Perhaps Chinese-made electric vehicles or battery systems? The retaliation may never end.

Children are dying of starvation in northern Gaza, the World Health Organization (WHO) chief says. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the agency's visits over the weekend to the Al-Awda and Kamal Adwan hospitals were the first since early October. In a post on social media, he spoke of "grim findings". A lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children and "severe levels of malnutrition", while hospital buildings have been destroyed, he wrote. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza reported on Sunday that at least 15 children had died from malnutrition and dehydration at the Kamal Adwan hospital. A sixteenth child died on Sunday at a hospital in the southern city of Rafah, the Palestinian official news agency Wafa reported on Monday. Dr Tedros reported "severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed" in northern Gaza, where an estimated 300,000 people are living with little food or clean water. "The lack of food resulted in the deaths of 10 children," he posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. The visits were the WHO's first in months "despite our efforts to gain more regular access to the north of Gaza", he wrote. "The situation at Al-Awda Hospital is particularly appalling, as one of the buildings is destroyed," he added. The UN warned last week that famine in Gaza was "almost inevitable". A senior UN aid official warned that at least 576,000 people across the Gaza Strip - one quarter of the population - faced catastrophic levels of food insecurity and one in six children under the age of two in the north were suffering from acute malnutrition. And the regional director of the UN's children's agency, Unicef, said "the child deaths we feared are here, as malnutrition ravages the Gaza Strip". "These tragic and horrific deaths are man-made, predictable and entirely preventable," Adele Khodr said in a statement on Sunday. On Saturday, the US a launched its first airdrop of humanitarian aid into Gaza - including more than 38,000 meals. However, aid agencies have said these drops - which have also previously been carried out by the UK, France, Egypt and Jordan - are an inefficient way of getting supplies to people. The deliveries themselves have sometimes turned deadly. Last week, at least 112 Palestinians were reportedly killed when large crowds descended on lorries carrying aid while Israeli tanks were present. Israel said the tanks fired warning shots but did not strike the lorries and that many of the dead were trampled or run over. But this has been disputed by Hamas, which said there was "undeniable" evidence of "direct firing at citizens". Some aid agencies have been facing difficulties with the authorities. Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN's main human rights agency in the Gaza Strip, UNRWA, on Monday accused the Israeli government of trying to "eliminate" its presence in Gaza. Israel has long accused different branches of the United Nations, including Unrwa, of bias and even of antisemitism. Several western countries, including the UK, have paused funding to UNRWA after Israel accused some staff of roles in the 7 October attacks. Mr Lazzarini said that this was not just in response to "neutrality breaches of some of the staff" but had a wider political motive, which included plans to "eliminate the status of refugees and make sure that this is not part of a final political settlement". He added that dismantling his organisation would lead to the collapse of the entire humanitarian response on Gaza. The Israeli military launched a large-scale air and ground campaign to destroy Hamas - which is proscribed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the UK, US and others - after the group's gunmen killed about 1,200 people in southern Israel on 7 October and took 253 back to Gaza as hostages. More than 30,500 people, mostly women and children, have been killed in Gaza since then, according to the territory's health ministry.   Source: BBC

Saima Wazed was confirmed on Tuesday as the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the South-East Asia by the WHO Executive Board in Geneva, Switzerland.   After taking oath as the new Regional Director, Wazed in her acceptance speech at the WHO Executive Board said, ”I would like to thank the Member States for the trust they have placed in me. There is a lot of work to be done, and I am extremely pleased to be starting this journey at this moment with all of you.  I am excited for all that we can, and will, do together in the coming years.”   Wazed begins a five-year term on 1 February 2024. She is the first from Bangladesh and the second woman Regional Director of WHO South-East Asia Region. She was nominated as the next Regional Director in a vote by the Regional Committee for the South-East Asia on 1 November 2023 in New Delhi, India.   Emphasizing on her priorities, the new Regional Director said, “the first of these is a strong focus on mental health….a long-neglected area. It is time to turn the tide against the silent illnesses of mental health which impacts every aspect of the lives affected. I will work towards ensuring relative parity between physical and mental health in our healthcare systems.”   “Second, I look forward to devising and implementing specific interventions for women and children, including pregnant women. This will be created with education, empowerment, and prevention in mind. Structured with a life-course approach, this will include comprehensive well-being and health screenings, vaccination and nutrition programs, promotion of both physical and mental well-being, and resilience,” she said.   Any success we achieve in this area will have multi-generational impacts and  benefits which will potentially outlive us all. Successes in this area cascade through societies, even improving the social and economic health of communities, the new Regional Director said.   The third is the use of technology. This great enabler in our lives over the last few decades allows untold possibilities of innovation across many different spheres of public health. The impact of the digital revolution on healthcare holds immense promise, ranging from telemedicine and remote patient monitoring, to data-driven diagnostics and personalized treatment plans, she said. Wazed emphasized on partnerships, collaboration and financing that’s transparent, sustainable, and provides adequate return on investment.   Her other priority areas include - Universal health coverage – strengthening health systems based on a Primary Health Care approach; monitoring health inequalities to identify and track disadvantaged populations; focusing on evidence & data to formulate equity-oriented approaches and addressing the needs of all groups to ensure all have access to quality services on an equal basis with others.   Emergency response and pandemic preparedness -  encouraging countries to engage whole-of-society for effective pandemic preparedness and  response, particularly multi-level planning for pandemic preparedness which is also linked to health system strengthening.   Collaboration and partnerships: regional and multi-sectoral – promoting active involvement of education, economic, social, poverty alleviation and development and different regulatory sectors within overall health planning of member countries. Partnering with multiple sectors to address all determinants of health.   Monitoring and progress reporting – for building innovative and context specific data and reporting systems to measure implementation of strategies and improve decision-making. Establishing  data collection on gender inequalities, socioeconomic disadvantages, and specific issues faced by indigenous peoples, refugees & migrant populations displaced by conflict, economic & environmental crisis.   Climate change – developing preventive and mitigative action mechanisms by integrating climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning.  Monitoring health impacts of climate & environmental change and prioritizing health sector resilience to climate and environmental change.     Focus on marginalized and vulnerable groups  - by prioritizing their unique needs in health infrastructure planning for providing both preventive and curative services, to truly ensure that no one is left behind.   About the new Regional Director - Saima Wazed has a Bachelor degree from Barry University in Florida, USA, and holds a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She is a candidate for a doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the same university. Since 2019 she has been an Advisor to the WHO Director-General on Mental Health and Autism and has been a member of WHO’s Expert Advisory Panel on Mental Health since 2014.   Wazed was designated Goodwill Ambassador for Autism in WHO South-East Asia in 2017. She co-authored WHO South-East Asia Regional Strategy on Autism Spectrum Disorder the same year. She is an Associate Fellow at the Global Health Program Chatham House, UK, Chairperson of the National Advisory Committee on Autism and NDDs, Dhaka Bangladesh, and Chairperson of the Shuchona Foundation, Dhaka, Bangladesh.   Wazed was conferred ‘Excellence in Public Health’ award by WHO South-East Asia Regional Office in 2014, and Ibrahim Memorial Gold Medal in 2016 by the Dr Ibrahim Memorial Council, Bangladesh, for her work on autism and neurodevelopment disorders. In 2017, Wazed received International Champion Award from US organization Shema Kolainu for her work on autism in South-East Asia.   In 2019 she was conferred Innovative Women Leaders in Global Mental Health award by the Global Mental Health Programs, Columbia University, USA.  

World Health Organization (WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has extended congratulations to Saima Wazed, a strong advocate for autism, on her appointment as WHO's Regional Director for South-East Asia Regional Office (WHOSEARO). "You have the confidence and trust of the member states of the South East Asia and of the Executive Board," Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote in a post from X handle. He wrote Saima has been entrusted with guiding the health systems of 11 countries comprising nearly two billion people. The region is extremely diverse, and the range of health challenges is equally diverse, he added.    "Of course, you are not alone. You are supported by a very dedicated and talented team at the Regional Office. You have my full support and trust, and that of my colleagues in headquarters. I look forward to working with you," WHO DG wrote.   Source: BSS

Just one in five people across the globe is still lighting up or otherwise consuming tobacco, the UN's health agency says. But some countries are still seeing a rise in tobacco use. Big Tobacco's efforts to keep people smoking have been failing, with the number of people across the world using tobacco falling dramatically in a generation, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). One in five people now smokes or indulges in other tobacco consumption versus one in three in 2000, it said, while warning that more still needed to be done to wean people from their addiction to the health-damaging substance.   What did the WHO say? In its global report, the WHO said 1.25 billion people aged 15 or over used tobacco in 2022 versus 1.36 billion in 2000. The study said tobacco use was on the way to falling further by 2030 to around 1.2 billion people, despite the expected growth in the world population. It said Southeast Asia and Europe had the largest proportion of smokers, with roughly a quarter of the population still addicted to the tobacco habit.     Tobacco use was still on the rise in a few countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Indonesia, according to the study. In another worrying statistic, the report said that on average, around 10% of 13- to 15-year-olds globally use one or more types of tobacco. That amounts to at least 37 million adolescents, including at least 12 million who use new smokeless tobacco products. The report stressed these numbers were an underestimate since more than 70 countries provide no data.   Huge killer "Good progress has been made in tobacco control in recent years, but there is no time for complacency," said Dr. Rüdiger Krech, director of the WHO Department of Health Promotion. "I'm astounded at the depths the tobacco industry will go to pursue profits at the expense of countless lives," he said. "We see that the minute a government thinks they have won the fight against tobacco, the tobacco industry seizes the opportunity to manipulate health policies and sell their deadly products," he added.       The WHO warned that tobacco-related deaths were expected to remain high for years to come despite the decline, with a three-decade wait for a reduction in deaths even if user numbers were falling. Tobacco use is estimated to kill more than 8 million people each year, including an estimated 1.3 million nonsmokers who are exposed to secondhand smoke, WHO statistics show. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, smoking causes cancer, heart disease, stroke, lung diseases, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), among other health problems.

The World Health Organization on Thursday said several contaminated syrups and suspension medicines had been identified in countries in the WHO regions of the Americas, the Eastern Mediterranean, South-East Asia and the Western Pacific. The affected products were manufactured by Pharmix Laboratories in Pakistan, the WHO said, and were first identified in the Maldives and Pakistan. Some of the tainted products have also been found in Belize, Fiji and Laos. Pharmix was not immediately available for comment. The medicines, liquids containing active ingredients to treat various conditions, contained unacceptable levels of the contaminant ethylene glycol, WHO said. The alert is the latest in a line of warnings from WHO about similarly contaminated medicines made in India and Indonesia, which were linked to the deaths of around 300 children worldwide last year. No adverse events have been reported to the WHO regarding the Pakistan-made syrups, the agency's statement said, but it urged countries to step up vigilance and test products made by the company between December 2021 and December 2022. The contamination was found in Alergo syrup in a routine examination by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority in November, and confirmed by the Australian regulator. A follow-up inspection at Pharmix manufacturing facilities, conducted by the Drug Regulatory Authority of Pakistan, found that a number of other products were also contaminated. It has ordered the company to stop making all oral liquid medicines and issued a recall alert in November. A total of 23 batches of Alergo syrup, Emidone suspension, Mucorid syrup, Ulcofin suspension and Zincell syrup are affected, the WHO said. Only Alergo so far has been found outside Pakistan. The contamination levels ranged from 0.62% to 0.82%, compared to the accepted level of not more than 0.10%, according to the alert. The products are variously designed to treat allergies, coughs and other health issues. "The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death," the WHO warned.   Source: REUTERS

The World Health Organization has called on governments worldwide to increase taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in order to drastically curb the number of people dying from drinking and unhealthy diets. The World Health Organization (WHO) called on governments around the world to increase taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). After studying taxation rates, the WHO said Tuesday that it believes the average global tax rate on "unhealthy products" was too low, while items such as wine are completely exempt from tax in some European countries.   Can taxes reduce deaths? According to the WHO, 2.6 million people die from drinking alcohol and 8 million people die due to unhealthy diets every year. The UN health agency said higher taxes would help reduce consumption of the products and incentivize companies to make healthier products. "Taxing unhealthy products creates healthier populations. It has a positive ripple effect across society, less disease and debilitation and revenue for governments to provide public services," said Rüdiger Krech, the WHO's health promotion director. "In the case of alcohol, taxes also help prevent violence and road traffic injuries." The WHO added that while 108 of its 194 member states already impose some taxes on SSBs, they account for an average of just 6.6% of the price of soda. Half of those countries, the WHO noted, also tax water, which is not recommended by the UN agency.   WHO: Less cheap booze means fewer alcohol-related deaths The WHO said minimum pricing alongside taxation could curb consumption of cheap alcohol and reduce drink-related hospitalizations, deaths, traffic violations and crimes.  "A significant body of research has demonstrated that people who engage in heavy episodic drinking tend to drink the cheapest available alcoholic beverages," the WHO said. "However, wine is exempted from excise taxes in at least 22 countries, most of which are in the European region."   Do alcohol taxes hit poorest hardest? Globally, on average, the tax on the price of the most sold brand of beer is 17.2%, while for the most sold brand of the most sold type of spirits, it is 26.5%, the WHO reported. While the drinks industry often cites alcohol taxes as affecting the poorest communities hardest, the WHO countered that such a view ignores the "disproportionate harm per litre for alcohol consumers in lower socioeconomic groups." "A pressing concern is that alcoholic beverages have, over time, consistently become more affordable," WHO Assistant Director-General Ailan Li said. "But increasing affordability can be curbed using well-designed alcohol tax and pricing policies."

Israel has said that one of the aims of its military operation in Gaza is to get rid of Hamas' leaders. But who are they? Yehya Sinwar is thought to be the mastermind behind the terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, when countless fighters of the militant group Hamas crossed the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, killing more than 1,200 people and abducting around 240. The most senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip is currently one of Israel's most wanted men. The Israeli army has vowed to eliminate him and crush the group, of which he is but one of several top commanders 'The butcher of Khan Younis:' Yehya Sinwar Considered charismatic and highly intelligent, as well as brutal and ruthless, Yahya Sinwar rules with an iron fist. He was born in the refugee camp of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip in 1962 and was one of the early members of Hamas when it formed in 1987. A few years later, he was also involved in setting up its military wing, the Qassam Brigades, which has carried out suicide attacks in Israel. He was nicknamed the "Butcher of Khan Younis" after taking brutal action against Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. In 1988, an Israeli court sentenced him to four life sentences after he was convicted of killing two Israeli soldiers and murdering several Palestinians. Sinwar learned Hebrew in jail and reportedly studied the mindset of the "enemy" by reading books by famous Israeli personalities. Israeli doctors are said to have saved his life after an abscess was removed from near his brain. In 2011, Sinwar was released after 22 years in jail, alongside more than 1,000 Palestinians, as part of a prisoner exchange deal that led to Hamas letting the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit go. Sinwar returned to Gaza and became responsible for liaising between the military and political arms of Hamas. In 2017, he became the group's leader in the Gaza Strip. The 'cat with nine lives': Mohammed Deif Mohammed Deif has led Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, since 2002. Israel says he is responsible for several suicide attacks and the death of dozens of Israeli soldiers and civilians. He is also thought to be one of those behind the extensive Hamas tunnel system in Gaza, and he too is accused of having planned and led the October 7 attack. The Israeli army has said it wants to kill him during its current military operation. Deif has been one of Israel's most wanted men since 1995. He was temporarily imprisoned in Israel in 2000 but was able to escape during the turmoil of the second intifada, an armed Palestinian uprising that lasted from 2000 to 2005. There has hardly been a trace of him since. He is thought to have survived seven assassination attempts, which left him seriously injured and killed several members of his family. Deif is said to have lost an eye, a foot and part of his arm. He never appears in public. It is rumored that he spends each night in a different building. Deputy commander-in-chief of Qassam Brigades: Marwan Issa Issa too was born in a refugee camp in Gaza. Little is known about his youth, but he is said to have belonged to the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood, the organization from which Hamas later emerged. He served a five-year prison sentence in Israel during the first intifada (1987-1993). In 1997, the Palestinian Authority arrested and jailed him, but he was released after the second intifada began in 2000. Today, he is the deputy commander-in-chief of the Qassam Brigades and Deif's right-hand man. Issa has also survived several targeted assassination attempts by Israel and he remains high on the state's wanted list.  Hamas leaders in Qatar: Ismail Haniyeh und Khaled Mashaal Since two of its most important leaders are not in Gaza but in the Gulf emirate of Qatar, it would be difficult for Israel to completely extinguish Hamas. Ismail Haniyeh, who is generally considered to be the organization's supreme leader, was also born in a refugee camp in Gaza. He attended a United Nations school and went on to study at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he reportedly first came into contact with Palestinian independence movements. He was appointed dean of the philosophy department in 1993, and in 1997 he became the personal secretary of Hamas founder, Ahmed Yassin. Haniyeh was appointed prime minister of the Palestinian Authority by President Mahmoud Abbas after Hamas won a majority of seats in the 2006 legislative elections. However, he was dismissed just one year later after Hamas unleashed a wave of violence to oust Abbas' Fatah party from the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh refused to step down and Hamas continued to rule the Gaza Strip, while Fatah remained responsible for the occupied West Bank. In 2017, Haniyeh was elected head of Hamas' political bureau, succeeding Khaled Mashaal. Mashaal was born in the West Bank in 1956 and studied physics at Kuwait University. He later lived in Syria and Jordan and was also a founding member of the Hamas political bureau, the chairman of which he became in 1996. He called for terror attacks against Israel and in 1997 survived an assassination attempt by Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency. In 2012, he travelled to Gaza via Egypt to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the founding of Hamas. It was reportedly the first time he had set foot on Palestinian territories in 45 years. In 2017, he stepped down as Hamas' leader to make way for Haniyeh. He is now head of the organization's political bureau.