“This is how a hero dies”: Gazans greet Yahya Sinwar after Israeli attack | World News

Sinwar, the architect of Hamas’ deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza, was killed in a shootout with Israeli forces on Wednesday after a year-long manhunt and his death was announced on Thursday.

A video of some of his final minutes, in which he is seen masked and wounded in a shell-ravaged apartment, trying to hurl a stick at a drone filming him, sparked pride among Palestinians.

“He died a hero, attacking without fleeing, clutching his rifle and fighting on the front lines against the occupying army,” Hamas said in a statement mourning Sinwar’s death.

In the statement, Hamas promised that his death would only strengthen the movement, adding that it would not compromise on the conditions for reaching a ceasefire agreement with Israel.

“He died wearing a military vest, fighting with a rifle and grenades, and when he was wounded and bleeding, he fought with a stick. This is how heroes die,” said Adel Rajab, 60, a father of two in Gaza.

“I have watched the video 30 times since last night, there is no better way to die,” said Ali, a 30-year-old taxi driver in Gaza.

“I will make it a daily requirement for my sons and future grandchildren to watch this video,” said the father of two.

According to Israeli figures, around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in the attack on Israeli communities planned by Sinwar a year ago, and another 253 were taken back to Gaza as hostages.

Israel’s subsequent war devastated Gaza and killed more than 42,000 Palestinians. The health authorities in the Gaza Strip say that another 10,000 countless dead are believed to lie under the rubble.

Sinwar’s own words in previous speeches that he would rather die at Israel’s hands than from a heart attack or a car accident have been shared repeatedly by Palestinians online.

“The best gift that the enemy and the crew can give me is to murder me and let me die as a martyr at their hands,” he had said.

Recruiting tool

Now some Palestinians are wondering whether Israel will regret allowing the fulfillment of that wish to be broadcast as a potential recruiting tool for an organization it has sworn to destroy.

“They said he was hiding in the tunnels. They said he was keeping Israeli prisoners next to him to save his life. Yesterday we saw him hunting Israeli soldiers in Rafah, where the occupation has been operating since May,” said Rasha, a displaced 42-year-old mother of four.

“This is what leaders do, with rifle in hand. I supported Sinwar as a leader and today I am proud of him as a martyr,” she added.

A September poll found that a majority of Gazans believed the Oct. 7 attack was the wrong decision and a growing number of Palestinians questioned Sinwar’s willingness to start a war that has caused them so much suffering.

Rajab, who praised Sinwar’s death as heroic, said he did not support the Oct. 7 attacks because he believed the Palestinians were unprepared for an all-out war with Israel. But he said the manner of his death “made me proud as a Palestinian.”

In both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where Hamas also enjoys significant support and where fighting between Israeli occupying forces and Palestinians has increased over the past year, people wondered whether Sinwar’s death would hasten the end of the war.

In Hebron, a flashpoint city in the West Bank, Ala’a Hashalmoon said Sinwar’s killing would not mean a more conciliatory leader. “What I can imagine is that there is someone who takes his place who is more stubborn,” he said.

And in Ramallah, Murad Omar, 54, said little would change on the ground. “The war will continue and it seems that it will not end anytime soon,” he said.