Hamas’ Leader Sinwar Goes Out Fighting

BBC:

“The Israel Defense Forces says a unit from its 828th Bislamach Brigade was patrolling Tal al-Sultan, an area of Rafah, on Wednesday.

Three militants were identified and engaged by the Israeli troops – and all were eliminated.

At that stage nothing seemed particularly remarkable about the firefight and the soldiers did not return to the scene until Thursday morning.

It was then, as the dead were inspected, that one of the bodies was found to bear a striking resemblance to the leader of Hamas.”

If it gets confirmed that Israel killed Sinwar (by chance, without intel), it means he most likely deliberately decided to engage and die in combat on the front lines in Rafah; Not in a tunnel and without guards.

Hamas will easily build a heroic tale (like Sheikh Izz El-Din Qassam fighting to the end) to boost their popularity and recruits. Sinwar’s brother Mohammed (top Qassam militant) would be the one most likely to run Gaza during the war. There are a couple more top militants who can fill the void as well.

His likely killing would on the other hand debunk Israel’s myth that if they reach Sinwar, they’ll find all the hostages around him (a talking point to keep the war going). Which makes a ceasefire now more inescapable.

The pictures circulating online of Sinwar’s alleged corpse show him in military fatigue and full gear.

This is consistent with his militant mentality; people who know him say he would keep fighting even if Israel destroys all of Gaza.

Perhaps he was running out of supplies, perhaps the IDF was closing in, perhaps he was fed up and tired of the indefinite war, or perhaps he understood that his death may end the war (many US, EU and Arab officials and ex-officials told me over the last year if Sinwar is gone, it’d significantly increase the chances of ending the war or getting govs to pressure Israel more to end the war).

Hamas itself is still far from being destroyed or dismantled. It’s been significantly depleted & degraded, but it’s been also rapidly rebuilding, regrouping and recruiting thousands of Esnad (backup) forces.

Killing Sinwar is unlikely to moderate Hamas’ demand for ending the war in return for releasing the hostages (including full IDF withdrawal from Gaza).

They would become more insistent on that now.

There are still several top shadow Hamas leaders in Gaza and many middle level or senior ones to take over & fill the void.

Also, operationally, Sinwar wasn’t supervising the fighting and directing combatant movements & tactics. Hamas now fights through guerrilla warfare, hit & run attacks & ambushes; it doesn’t need central leadership or chain of command; their militants act autonomously as they see fit.

The only logical thing to do now is to end the war; since Hamas lost the victory image of Sinwar rising from between the rubble, amd Netanyahu got the “victory image” he’s been so desperate for of killing the mastermind of Oct 7.

Anything else is pointless!

Source: X

🇵🇸 Incredible footage: Yahya Sinwar, covered in dust, all his comrades just killed, arm amputated and close to death, hurls a projectile at an Israeli drone in a final act of defiance

Israelis are ridiculing this as a pathetic end, but I'm not sure the world will see it that way pic.twitter.com/I0gdAQhQ0L

— Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) October 17, 2024

According to the Israelis this is ALL they found on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (passport not his)

Pocket cash, prayer beads, prayer leaflet, flash light, watch, nail clippers tissue papers, mentos

That is ALL he had on him as he rocked the foundations of Israel & IDF pic.twitter.com/ndoieOIFzG

— Mazen Mahdi ⭕️ 🔻 (@MazenMahdi) October 17, 2024

Once again, unchecked information is used to discredit @UNRWA & its staff.

Earlier today, reports circulated on social & Israeli media that an UNRWA staff member was killed together with the Hamas head in Gaza.

I confirm that the staff member in question is alive. He…

— Philippe Lazzarini (@UNLazzarini) October 17, 2024

Sinwar had spent 23 years, from 1988 until 2011, in an Israeli prison, Israel accused him of having a hand in killing their informant. He was born in 1962, in Khan Younis refugee camp in Southern Gaza not far from where he was killed. Prior to 1948 his family had been from Al-Majdal Asqalan, now called Ashkelon by Israelis. Claim by Israelis that the small amount of money he was found with indicates he was looking to cross into Egypt doesn’t seem credible, but he may have been caught while changing safehouse tunnels.