Sat on the desk of the Zeta Luiss Newsroom in Rome, the Israeli medical Yuval Bitton, by invitation of Jerusalem Foundation, seems to search the worlds to explain what happened to him. The dentist, nicknamed “The Doctor” by the Palestinian detained, explains the professional and human experience that connect himself to the ex-Leader of Hamas.
The duty of a doctor
In 1996 Yuval Bitton started his career as dentist at the Nafha Jail. When soon after the terroristic attack of October 7 2023, images of the leader of Hamas became worldwide renowned, the doctor recognized the man he saved several years before.
“It was 2004, Sinwar was in jail for the killing of two Israelis soldiers and twelve Palestinian accused of collaborationism with Israel,” explained Bitton. “One day he got terrible headaches and I thought he had a stock, so I decided to take him to the hospital and there we discovered he has a brain infection”. He got emergency surgery the same day. “I owed you my life. I will reward you one day” said personally Sinwar to Bitton after the surgery.
“I did my duty as a doctor” he answered to questions of the students in the Zeta newsroom. “At the time I did not expect he would get free. He had five live sentences”. It was 2011 when Yahya Sinwar and other 1026 Palestinian prisoners were set free in agreement with the liberation of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, kidnapped in Gaza since 2006.
The mind behind the attacks to Israel
On October 7 2023, the doctor Yuval Bitton was at home, it was early in the morning when his daughter called asking if he was ok. He didn’t know what was happening, but looking at the images of the terrorist on the TV news he thought: “I’ve known know this man, since 1996. Not only him but also all the others heads of Hamas” and he had a bitter feeling: “I knew this could have been happened”.
Yahya Sinwar was 27 years old when got arrested. “He was a really difficult person” during the detention, he was responsible of the death of other prisoners, choked by hands or with Kefiah others killed with extreme violence. “When he was in jail, he gave the order to kill his wife” the woman was suspected to have an other man and lost her life in a suicide attack made by members of Hamas. Not only she but also others Israeli people were involved in the explosion and died “ Sinwar told me that she was safe because she died in an attack against Israel” while “the connections between the prisoners and the outside were managed by the lawyers”.
The stability in the Middle East
Speaking about the internal situation, Yuval Bitton explained “Not only Tel Aviv is the enemy of Hamas. They had continuous tensions also with Al- Fatah” Since 2007 when Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip, for Bitton exist two Palestinian State, one of Hamas and the other leaded by Al -Fatah but an agreement between them is difficult in terms of representation of Palestinian people. The antithesis between these two organizations for the control of Palestine, is another issue that contribute to the fragile security stability in the Middle East.
The attack at the Supernova Festival and to the kibbutz closed to Gaza marked a deep wound for Israel and that day, the stories of these two men crossed again: “The reward for saving his life was the assassination of my nephew” said bitterly Yuval Bitton. “It happened in the kibbutz of Nir Oz”.
The conclusion of the guest is an open reflection to the future of his country. “ The price of freedom it’s not an easy way of living, with children asked to know where is the safe-room when they go playing by friends” and the panic of the people of a terroristic attack every time everywhere. Yahya Sinwar declared that they were ready to sacrifice the life of 100.000 Palestinians to preserve their control of the region.
Despite of the ceasefire signed in Doha Qatar on January 15 between Hamas and Israel, the stability still be fragile. “We are not for revenge,” he recognizes that “Israel has been arrogant. We had underestimated our enemies” related to the attacks of October 7 and explains how important is now a good conclusion of the release of all the hostages that are in Gaza.