From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, August 5, 2025
German hospital faces criticism after name ‘Yahya Sinwar’ appears on display of newborn names
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The Leipzig University Hospital in Germany is facing public backlash after the name of Hamas’s slain leader, Yahya Sinwar, architect of the October 7, 2023 invasion and massacre in Israel, was featured in a display of names of babies born in the hospital.
The hospital shared an image of the board on its Instagram page, which showed that on August 3, the name Yahya Sinwar had been written at the top of the list of newborn names, with hearts next to it.
Welcome to the world, Yahya Sinwar! ???? A hospital in Leipzig is celebrating newborns by posting their names on a board AND sharing it on Instagram. Such a heartwarming way to welcome new life! ???????? #HospitalCelebration #NewBorn #Leipzig #Welcome to the World pic.twitter.com/kapUv68vvI
— ceanpolitics (@ceanglobal) August 5, 2025
Following criticism, the hospital apologized for sharing the image and for writing the name on the board in the first place, saying that the person who wrote it had been unaware of the notorious Hamas leader that a newborn baby had apparently been named for.
“The person who posted the image was not aware that the name is currently associated with a well-known political figure involved in a highly sensitive geopolitical context,” a hospital spokesperson tells German newspaper Bild.
The Times of Israel Community.