Who is Samr Abu Zamer, widow of Yahya Sinwar?

Samr Mohammed Abu Zamer has maintained a nearly private life since her marriage to Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader killed recently by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Despite her marriage to one of the region's most influential and controversial figures, Samr has remained a mysterious and intriguing figure.

At 44, Samr, born in Gaza, comes from an affluent family. She earned a master's degree in religious studies from the Islamic University of Gaza, where she also taught until her marriage in 2011. Her wedding to Sinwar, 18 years her senior, came just one month after his release from Israeli prison in the 2011 Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange. At the time of their marriage, Samr was 31—a relatively late age for a bride in Gaza, where the average age for women to marry is 20.

Samr, described as a devout woman, wears a niqab, covering her face and leaving only her eyes exposed. She is known for her total faith in her husband despite his violent background. Her loyalty likely stems from her upbringing in a household deeply entrenched in hostility toward Israel.

Her family is part of a well-known Palestinian tribe with strong support for Hamas and the "resistance" movement. Multiple family members are reported to have joined Hamas, with some involved in the elite Nukhba unit, which carried out attacks against Israeli targets. It appears her family's background heavily influenced her choices and reinforced her commitment to her husband's cause.

Samr has kept an extremely low profile in public life, with very few photos available, even on the website of the university where she studied and taught. However, recent footage released by the IDF catapulted her into the spotlight. In the video, Samr is seen fleeing into a tunnel with her family, carrying a luxury Hermès Birkin handbag worth approximately $32,000, just hours before the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.

Did the Birkin get its own room in the tunnel?

The sight of Samr carrying such an expensive bag while escaping to a bunker drew widespread criticism online, highlighting the glaring disparity between the luxurious lifestyle of Hamas leaders' families and the economic hardships of ordinary Gazans. Social media users quickly mocked the situation. "Did the Birkin get its own room in the tunnel?" one person quipped. Another asked, "Is there a 'limited edition Gaza tunnel' version of the Birkin?"

Beyond the satire, this incident has raised serious questions about the gap between Gaza’s leadership and its people, with Samr's Birkin bag becoming an unflattering symbol of this divide.

With Sinwar's death in an IDF operation on October 16, 2024, Samr's future remains uncertain. It is likely that she will continue to lead a discreet life, possibly out of fear for her and her children’s safety, from both Israeli forces and internal Hamas rivals. Speculation is rife that she may escape to Qatar and perhaps write a memoir to finance the lifestyle to which she has grown accustomed. One can only hope that her choices in life will improve from this point onward.