From left to right, parliamentarians congratulated their armed forces and called for the return of the hostages. Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporters, in the Knesset and in the media, were quick to point out that this was a direct result of government policy. Justice Minister Yariv Levin did not hesitate to put this success down to “Prime Minister Netanyahu’s insistence on returning to Rafah, despite opposition from around the world.
The “face of evil” who took pleasure in strangling his victims with his bare hands: who was Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, killed in the Gaza Strip?
Weapon in hand
Israeli negotiating teams hit the ground running on Wednesday noon, and the hostage families began to hope: “Since November, we have been told that the only obstacle to an agreement is Sinouar. Now he is dead: we expect there to be results”explains Daniel Lifshitz, whose grandfather Oded was one of the 101 people kidnapped on October 7 still in Gaza. However, in confirming Sinwar’s death on Friday, the organization’s politburo member Khalil al-Hayya warned Israelis: “Our position has not changed: there will be no return of the hostages without a complete end to the war”. The Israelis are instead counting on the disorganization of its forces on the ground. The Israeli hawks want to go even further, by continuing the offensive still underway in Gaza, to convince the last remaining officers to surrender.
It was necessary to destroy the majority of the infrastructure of the Palestinian enclave, kill tens of thousands of Palestinians, including an unbearable proportion of women and children, and park three-quarters of the survivors in eleven percent of its territory, to finally manage to surprise enemy number one in a completely fortuitous way. In Gaza, even those who still supported Yahya Sinouar despite the violence of this war had a small hope that his death would put an end to it. But the Islamist leader was killed at gunpoint, and not holed up in a tunnel: this saves his honor for some.
Chilling letters sent by Hamas leader to Gaza reveal a lot about the terrorist organization’s plans
“Resurrection War”
If the hostages return, Benjamin Netanyahu will be able to justify his actions in retrospect. The Prime Minister is keen to capitalize fully on this victory: it was he, in a pre-recorded speech, who announced the death of Sinouar and “the beginning of the next day” for Gaza. The future, however, remains unclear: only the Palestinian Authority seems to have a thoughtful plan for reconstruction. The Israeli government, which describes its security partner as terrorist and has taken advantage of the war to deepen its colonization of the West Bank more than ever, cannot give it the keys.
The war has changed. Benjamin Netanyahu, who finally seems to be able to stay in power until 2026, is openly on a crusade. “In Gaza and Beirut, the shadows fall and the light grows. Today we showed the world another victory of good against evil,” Netanyahu proclaimed Thursday evening, before adding that this war was far from over. As long as it lasts, there will be no serious examination of the security failures that led to October 7 and the annexation of the West Bank may continue to advance towards the point of no return. The Prime Minister has now adopted the term “resurrection war” in his official speeches, nourishing his own messianic dreams.
As if to prove him right, the Western world was full of congratulations. Yet Israel’s allies are growing increasingly uneasy. Washington first slammed the table on October 13, insisting that munitions deliveries could be in danger if Israel does not immediately address the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The IDF complied, while continuing to reject its responsibilities. In the current situation, famine could affect more than 400,000 people in the coming weeks, according to the IPC rating body.
