Hamas leader Sinwar’s death won’t end Gaza war

Israelis celebrating the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the man they say was responsible for the worst Jewish massacre since the Holocaust, are also aware that his demise does not mean the end of the conflict with the Palestinians.

For years, Israelis used to complain about how Palestinian families ritually handed out baklava sweets on the streets as a way of celebrating the murder of every Jew in any terrorist attack. These celebrations were denounced as an example of how Arabs glorified terrorism and violence against their Jewish neighbours.

The irony is that many Israelis today have endorsed the very same practices they once used to abhor. Now, following last October’s Hamas-led invasion that resulted in the deaths and injuries of thousands, a growing number of Israelis find it hard to hold back their own jubilation every time a Hamas official is killed.

In fact, scenes of Israelis handing out baklava sweets and greeting each other with smiles and laughter have become part of TV talk shows and different social media platforms.

So, it was no surprise on Thursday (October 17), when a lifeguard on one of Tel Aviv’s largest beaches used his loudspeaker to break the news that “arch terrorist Yahya Sinwar has been eliminated”, bikini-clad swimmers and sunbathers responded to his announcement by breaking into spontaneous clapping, cheers and whistles.

For the first time in more than a year, all of Israel is now engulfed in a kind of joyful euphoria that has not been seen before. Some Israelis have even gone as far as comparing Sinwar’s death with the capture and subsequent execution of Nazi commander Adolf Eichmann. He was kidnapped from Argentina and brought to Israel, where he was tried and executed in 1962.

Others compare Sinwar’s passing with the capture and killing of Osama bin Laden, whose unmarked body was dumped by the Americans in the middle of the sea. Hence, suggestions have been made to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem that Sinwar’s body, too, should be disposed of either in the ocean or burnt and dispersed in an unknown location.

For its part, the Israeli government has removed Sinwar’s body from Tal-al-Sultan, a suburb of the Gaza city of Rafah, and is holding it in a secret location, pending a final decision about what to do with his remains.

The joy at Sinwar’s death, however, is marred by concerns about the fate of the 101 Israeli hostages — many of whom are believed to be dead — still held in various locations by Hamas and other Palestinian factions as well as ordinary, non-combatant families who view any Jewish hostage as an asset.

One of the declared objectives of the Israeli government was always to secure the liberation of all hostages. More than 100 were released late last year in a deal between Israel and Hamas in return for hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons. Since then, only a handful of hostages — dead or alive — have been rescued in what Israelis describe as ‘daring’ and ‘heroic’ commando operations.

When he confirmed the death of Sinwar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a rare and unprecedented offer to the hostage-takers, telling them, “This war can end tomorrow if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages…and Israel will guarantee the safety of all those who return our hostages.”

Netanyahu’s offer shows the Israeli public’s continuing anguish about the fate of their loved ones who remain in captivity somewhere in the tunnels of Gaza. Without their release, there can never be an end to what has turned out to be the longest running war in Israel’s history. Yet, hopes that their Hamas captors would respond positively to Netanyahu’s offer have proven to be elusive.

Even worse, Sinwar’s deputy Khalil al-Hayya has proven to be as defiant as any of his militant colleagues, telling the Israeli public in a televised address, “The hostages will not be released until the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip comes to an end.” This announcement by the best-known current Hamas leader is a reminder to the Israelis that their celebrations and expectations following Sinwar’s death are premature.

In other words, the war will continue, and this news is bad for both sides. Israel will sink even more deeply into the Gaza quagmire and the Palestinians will continue to face the same death and destruction that has seen their body count rise to more than 40,000.

Sadly, Israelis have no obvious long-term strategy when it comes to Gaza. They are not bothered about humanitarian aid to the Palestinians and their daily suffering. Their only fixation is the hostages, who represent an open wound, and liquidating each and every one of those responsible for last October’s attack.

To try to understand the psychology of the Israeli society requires an understanding of the established norms and mindsets in a region where national dignity is all-important. The Hamas surprise was, accordingly, much more than just a military and intelligence setback for Israel. It was also an unparalleled humiliation for a proud society that has always prized its military and technological superiority over its Arab and Islamic rivals.

Widely publicised pictures of helpless Israelis being picked up in their pyjamas from their bedrooms and kitchens as well as stories about the alleged sexual abuse of Jewish women continue to haunt Netanyahu and his countrymen. For them, their national self-respect has suffered a savage blow with unpredictable long-term consequences.

Israelis, who look at themselves in the mirror every morning, have every reason to wonder how their enemies still mock them, perhaps, even rubbing their hands with satisfaction at the once invincible superpower that was briefly brought to its knees in October 2023.