Death of Yahya Sinwar Marks Major Israeli Victory in Gaza War Against Hamas

 

The killing of Yahya Sinwar is seen as Israel's most significant victory in its ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. His death is a severe blow to Hamas, which Sinwar had transformed into a formidable militant force, dealing Israel one of its worst military defeats in history.

Sinwar was not killed in a planned operation by Israeli special forces but was instead caught by chance when he encountered Israeli forces in Rafah, southern Gaza. A photograph from the scene shows Sinwar, dressed in military gear, lying dead under the rubble of a bombed building.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the soldiers involved, emphasizing that even this significant victory did not signal the end of the war.

"Today, we have once again made it clear what happens to those who harm us. We have shown the world the victory of good over evil once more, but the war is far from over. It is hard, and we are paying a high price," Netanyahu stated.

Netanyahu added, "There are still significant challenges ahead of us. We need patience, unity, courage, and resilience. We will fight together, and with God's help, we will win together."

The Israeli prime minister, along with a large portion of the Israeli population who support the war in Gaza, was eager for a victory. Netanyahu has repeatedly reiterated his goals for the war: "To destroy Hamas as both a military and political force and to bring the hostages back home." 

Neither of these objectives has been fully achieved despite a year of fighting, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 42,000 Palestinians and left much of Gaza in ruins.

While Israel has secured Sinwar's death, the remaining hostages are still not free, and Hamas continues to fight and even kill Israeli forces at times. The killing of Sinwar represents the victory Israel was looking for, but Netanyahu has made it clear that until the war's broader objectives are met, it will continue.

Yahya Sinwar was born in 1962 in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip. He was five years old when Israel captured the territory from Egypt in the 1967 Six-Day War. 

His family was among more than 700,000 Palestinians displaced or expelled during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War when Israel declared independence. Sinwar's family hailed from the city now known as Ashkelon, near Gaza's northern border.

Convicted by Israel for the murder of four Palestinian informers in his 20s, Sinwar spent 22 years in prison. During his imprisonment, he learned Hebrew, studied his enemy, and believed he understood how to fight them. His release in 2011, as part of a prisoner exchange for captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, enabled him to become a key figure in Hamas.

On October 7, 2023, Sinwar orchestrated a series of carefully planned attacks that resulted in Israel's most humiliating defeat. 

The killing of about 1,200 Israelis and the abduction and celebration by Hamas fighters shocked Israel, with many recalling memories of Nazi atrocities.

Sinwar, drawing on his experience with prisoner exchanges, likely recognized the value of taking hostages. In Tel Aviv, the families of 101 hostages still held in Gaza gathered to demand new negotiations for their loved ones' return. Half of the hostages, according to Israel, are believed to be dead.

One mother, Einav Zangawker, addressed Netanyahu directly, saying: "Netanyahu, do not bury the hostages. Go now to the mediators, to the public, and present a new Israeli plan. For Matan and the others trapped in the tunnels, time has run out. You have images of victory."

She added, "If Netanyahu does not seize this moment and present a new Israeli plan, even at the cost of ending the war, it will mean he has decided to abandon the hostages in an attempt to prolong the war and solidify his rule. We will not surrender until everyone comes home."

Many Israelis believe Netanyahu wants to prolong the war in Gaza to delay accountability for his role in the security failures that allowed Sinwar and his men to breach Israel and to postpone his trial on serious corruption charges indefinitely.

Netanyahu denies these accusations, insisting that only what he calls a "complete victory" in Gaza, through the defeat of Hamas, will restore Israel's security.

In Khan Younis, Sinwar’s birthplace, Palestinian civilians interviewed by independent journalists and BBC correspondents expressed mixed reactions to his death. Dr. Ramadan Fares commented, "This war is not about Sinwar, Haniyeh, or Mashaal. 

It is a war of destruction against the Palestinian people. The issue is bigger than Sinwar or any individual."

Another resident, Adnan Ashour, remarked, "They don't just want us gone. 

They want the entire Middle East. They've been fighting Lebanon, Syria, Yemen... This is a war between us and the Jews since 1919, over 100 years ago."

Asked if Sinwar's death would affect Hamas, Ashour responded, "God willing, no. Hamas is not just Sinwar... it is a people's cause."

The fighting continues in Gaza, with 25 Palestinians killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Hamas command center in northern Gaza. 

Medical staff confirmed that many of the wounded were civilians. Humanitarian aid has resumed after U.S. pressure on Israel to allow more food and supplies into Gaza.

Israel has killed every Hamas leader since the 1990s, but a successor has always emerged. 

As Israel celebrates Sinwar’s death, Hamas still holds hostages and continues to fight.