Hamas leader Sinwar killed in Rafah

Israel has confirmed the killing of Hamas military and political leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be Oct 7 mastermind. What difference will his death make moving forward?

Earlier today, rather gruesome images circulated online of a man who was killed fighting against Israeli Invaders in Rafah, the southernmost part of Gaza. The details surrounding how he was killed remain a bit murky. Some of the accounts Israel has offered don’t seem to tally with the photo evidence. What is clear is that there was an initial confrontation between Israeli forces and the small party that this man was traveling with, following which the militants took shelter in a building. That building was then partially collapsed, possibly by a tank round before Israeli soldiers moved in to confirm the kill.

Following the encounter, the soldiers were stunned to find that the militant they had killed appeared to be none other than Hamas military and political leader Yahya Sinwar. Sinwar, who was 61, had very distinctive features that made him readily recognizable.

No doubt the soldiers were surprised to find him. Israel has claimed that Sinwar was hiding in tunnels underneath Gaza surrounded by a retinue of bodyguards, as well as a dozen or more hostages that he was using as human shields. Instead, he was out moving in the open with just two other militants accompanying him, and engaging in active combat. No hostages were found to be present at the scene.

Sinwar’s identity was later confirmed through DNA testing. Hours before his death was confirmed, it appears that the images of Sinwar’s body were leaked by the Israeli soldiers themselves. Israeli soldiers have a habit of uploading post-mortem images of militants and civilians they’ve killed to various social media platforms. After his identity was confirmed, Sinwar’s remains were taken back to Israel.

October 7 mastermind

Before becoming a military leader of Hamas, Sinwar was a student activist. Later he became a sort of hitman targeting Palestinians who collaborated with the Israelis. He spent over 20 years in an Israeli prison, having receive a life sentence. During that time, he learned Hebrew and read everything that he could get his hands on about Israeli politics and history. He later said that he was doing this to try to better understand his enemy. Sinwar translated many of these texts into Arabic and later insisted that his commanders read them.

His release was secured in 2011 as part of a massive prisoner swap, over 1,000 Palestinians for one captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. Within a year, Sinwar ascended to Hamas’s local politburo, coordinating with the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. He was deeply involved in the resistance to Israel’s 2014 invasion of the Gaza Strip, which the Israelis called Operation Protective Edge.

Sinwar is believed to have been one of the architects of the October 7, 2023, military incursion into Israel, in which fighters from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and several other militant groups took part. About 1100 Israelis were killed in the attack, about 400 of them IDF soldiers of the Gaza division. The Hamas-led force managed to overrun every position of the Gaza division within an hour of breaching the border fence.

What happens now?

Sinwar has been one of Israel’s most wanted targets since it began its invasion of Gaza. Following Israel’s assassination in July of Hamas’s political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Sinwar was appointed to take his place. Unlike his predecessor who was considered a moderate, Sinwar saw little point in trying to negotiate peace with Israel.

Despite his high profile, Sinwar’s death is unlikely to make much if any difference in the course of the fighting. Individual militant cells throughout Gaza seem to operate semi-independently of one another. A year on, despite repeated Israel claims of having “defeated Hamas” in certain areas, Hamas and their allies continue to maintain command and control throughout the Strip. Hamas will have to choose a new politburo leader to lead them in negotiations, but the tactical picture on the ground is unlikely to fundamentally change.

VP Kamala Harris said today that she saw Sinwar’s death as an “opportunity” to finally end the war in Gaza. Biden also said that Sinwar’s death meant it was time for Israel to “move on” and sign a ceasefire agreement. However, Israel shows no signs in being interested in winding down its military assault on Gaza. They are continuing to besiege the north of Gaza, where no food aid as been allowed in since October 1.

Hamas leader Sinwar killed in Rafah – National & International News – THU 17Oct2024