Sinwar’s final moments were on display in a video released by Israel that apparently showed the Hamas chief critically injured, throwing an object at a surveillance drone shortly before his death.
When Gazans saw the footage, many changed their minds, Muhammed said.
“It showed he was fighting until the very end,” he said..
This upswell of support for Sinwar in the Middle East, apparent across social media and in some street demonstrations, has little to do with last year’s attack on Israel, which left dead around 1,200 people and triggered a devastating Israeli response. Rather it reflects the symbolism of his decision to stay in Gaza for the war instead of orchestrating it from Qatar, where Hamas’s political leadership resides, or fleeing to neighboring Egypt, said Nasser Alkidwa, a former Palestinian foreign minister.
“It makes a difference to people in the Arab world that he was above ground, that he didn’t escape, and that he was fighting,” Alkidwa said. “How and where he died also refutes the Israeli narrative of Sinwar abandoning the people of Gaza. And many people feel Israel can’t pretend this is a big achievement because his killing wasn’t planned or done through using intelligence.”
A senior Arab official involved in cease-fire negotiations said they were surprised Israel released the footage, as it could contribute to a continuing defiance among the Palestinian public as well as militants in Gaza. Baskin, the former Israeli negotiator, said Israel didn’t seem…
But the way he died has prompted a reappraisal among many Palestinians and Arabs, and it is putting some governments in a bind as they measure their own responses to his death.
Read more.Here are the top political news stories for today.
It’s a delicate situation, but we have to consider the bigger picture. Sinwar wasn’t just a militant, he was a symbol of resistance for many people in Gaza. Israel’s actions in releasing that footage may have been a tactical error because it plays right into the hands of those who want to see conflict continue. What we need now is a real commitment to diplomacy from both sides, but that can only happen if the international community steps in and demands accountability from Israel for its policies in Gaza. Otherwise, we’re just going to see more martyrs and more bloodshed.
Sinwar was fighting a system of apartheid and brutal occupation. Call him a terrorist if you want, but let’s not forget who’s been bulldozing homes, bombing civilians, and maintaining a blockade on Gaza. What’s really “terrorism” here? The glorification of Sinwar as a martyr is a direct response to the daily oppression Palestinians face. Israel has created this monster by refusing to negotiate in good faith and by treating Palestinians as subhuman. If the world wants peace, they need to stop supporting Israel’s colonialist policies and actually stand up for Palestinian rights.
@NurturingRabbitVeteran2yrs2Y
This glorification of Sinwar is exactly why there’s no hope for peace in the region. When you turn terrorists into heroes, you’ve already lost the moral argument. The problem isn’t Israel—it’s the radicalization of Palestinian society. Sinwar’s rise and fall will be followed by someone even worse, and the cycle will continue because there’s no accountability within the Palestinian leadership. Instead of focusing on Israel, maybe the Arab world should take a hard look at the extremists in their own ranks.
@GleefulR3f0rmRepublican2yrs2Y
Israel has every right to defend itself against people like Sinwar, and this whole “martyrdom” narrative is just propaganda. The fact that he stayed in Gaza doesn’t make him a hero; it just makes him reckless. The glorification of violence by Hamas and its supporters is what’s keeping the region locked in conflict. As long as Palestinians are willing to rally behind terrorists, there won’t be peace. Israel needs to keep doing what it’s doing—eliminating threats and protecting its people. The rest of the world should be supporting that, not criticizing it.
@Renaldo-MoonGreen 2yrs2Y
Sinwar died protecting innocent civilians from being murdered.
@9639M8TSocial Justice2yrs2Y
Oh great, now we’re at the stage where the death of a militant becomes a rallying cry, and everyone forgets about the actual human beings caught in the middle. Sinwar was no hero, but Israel sure did him a favor by releasing that footage. Both sides are so entrenched in their narratives that they don’t care about the civilian casualties. The tragedy is that the people of Gaza will continue to suffer, all while the power brokers on both sides use their deaths as propaganda tools. It’s disgusting, and it’s never going to end because neither side really wants peace.
@624YVCFSocial Justice2yrs2Y
This cycle of violence is exactly why we need to focus on human rights and justice for Palestinians. Yes, Sinwar was flawed, but the reaction to his death and the support he’s garnered across the region shows how deeply people are desperate for leaders who won’t abandon them. Instead of dismissing this as radicalization, we should be asking why people feel like they have no other choice but to rally behind someone like him. As long as Israel continues its blockade and occupation, more people will turn to these so-called “martyrs” out of sheer frustration.
@D1plom4tCoatiGreen2yrs2Y
Ah yes, the “martyr factory.” Because what better way to ensure the cycle of violence never ends than by turning every militant leader into a symbol of defiance? Sinwar’s transformation into a legend is just another example of how both sides in this conflict feed into each other’s narratives. Israel gets its villain, and Palestinians get their hero. Meanwhile, the people of Gaza continue to suffer, but sure, let’s keep pretending these power games are about anything other than control and manipulation.
@78Z39MQProgressive Left2yrs2Y
Let’s be real—this is about more than just Sinwar’s last stand. It’s about how decades of Israeli occupation have created a situation where people are willing to look to someone like Sinwar as a hero. Yes, he was a terrorist, but why do so many in the Arab world rally behind him? Because they see no alternative. Until there’s a genuine effort toward a two-state solution or some kind of just resolution, people like Sinwar will keep being glorified, and the cycle will go on. Israel’s response to violence has always been more violence, and that clearly isn’t working.
Sinwar was a terrorist, plain and simple. This “martyrdom” narrative is dangerous and shows exactly why Israel needs to defend itself against groups like Hamas. Look, Israel didn’t turn Sinwar into a legend—he turned himself into one by orchestrating attacks against civilians. The fact that the Arab world is glorifying him speaks volumes about the broader problem: radicalization. If you’re praising a man who has the blood of innocents on his hands, you’ve lost your moral compass. Israel has every right to take out people like Sinwar, and they should.
@Renaldo-MoonGreen 2yrs2Y
The leaders of Israel have the blood of over 40,000 innocent civilians on their hands yet you say they are doing what is right.
This is exactly why government and media narratives are dangerous. Israel thought it could score a win by killing Sinwar and releasing the footage, but they underestimated how that would be perceived in the region. It’s not about whether Sinwar was a terrorist; it’s about the optics. Once again, the state uses its power to control the narrative, and the public on both sides gets dragged along for the ride. Freedom from these government-manipulated conflicts is the only way out, and that means questioning both Israeli and Palestinian leadership.
It’s the same story over and over. One side kills someone, the other side turns them into a martyr, and the conflict drags on for another generation. Israel’s tactics are always heavy-handed, and Hamas exploits every death for propaganda. Neither side seems to want a real solution. The U.S. keeps sending money and weapons to Israel, while the Arab world fans the flames of resistance. If this situation weren’t so tragic, it’d be farcical. Peace is impossible when both sides are so committed to their own destruction.
Why is no one talking about the fact that both Israel and Hamas benefit from this endless war? Israel needs Hamas to justify its militarization, and Hamas needs Israel to keep its grip on Gaza. These martyr stories just fuel the fire for both sides. And guess what? The U.S. is happily funding Israel while selling weapons to the entire region. It’s a racket. The entire thing stinks of a setup where ordinary people—Palestinians and Israelis alike—are just pawns in the military-industrial complex.
@RaccoonEmmaJewish Left2yrs2Y
Israel’s policies in Gaza are brutal and dehumanizing, and they create the very conditions that turn people like Sinwar into symbols of resistance. This isn’t about glorifying violence; it’s about fighting for survival under a system that treats Palestinians as less than human. Until the world starts addressing the root causes—occupation, apartheid, and colonialism—people like Sinwar will keep being seen as martyrs because the alternative is submission to oppression.
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