Sinwar; resolute cmmdr, savvy negotiator, symbol of ‘Israel’s’ failure
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According to Hamas, Israeli, and US officials, al-Sinwar has emerged not just as a strong-willed leader, but also as a shrewd negotiator.
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Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets his supporters upon his arrival at a meeting in a hall on the seaside of Gaza City on April 30, 2022. (AP)
Yahya al-Sinwar's survival 7 months into the war on Gaza is "emblematic" of its failures, having destroyed most of Gaza while Hamas' senior leadership remains largely intact and failing to liberate the majority of the captives taken during the October operation, The New York Times reported.
Al-Sinwar, whose name literally translates to the fisherman or the crafter of fishing hooks in Arabic, was seen to be at the crest of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood when it came crashing down on the Zionist colonial entity.
A report written by Reuters in December recalls a speech made by al-Sinwar back in 2022 uncannily foreshadowing the events of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood in his choice of wording. In a speech addressing the Israeli security establishment on December 14 two years ago, during a popular ceremony in Gaza celebrating the 35th anniversary of Hamas' establishment, al-Sinwar specifically threatened the Israelis with an impending "flood".
Despite their desire to target him, Israeli officials have been compelled to deal with him, although indirectly, to liberate the remaining captives. According to Hamas, Israeli, and US officials, al-Sinwar has emerged not only as a strong-willed leader but also as a savvy negotiator who has prevented an Israeli combat win by engaging Israeli envoys at the bargaining table.
He has proved to be both a fierce antagonist and a skilled political player, capable of understanding Israeli culture and appearing to change his ideas accordingly.
Former Israeli officials who monitored him while he was imprisoned reported that he learned Hebrew and gained insight into Israeli culture, something US authorities believe he exploits to sow fissures in Israeli society and increase pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
They think al-Sinwar timed the publication of videos of some Israeli captives to incite public indignation against Netanyahu during critical periods of the ceasefire negotiations.
According to Israeli and US intelligence sources, al-Sinwar's aim is to prolong the war to wreak havoc on "Israel's" worldwide reputation and harm its relationship with its main partner, the US. This strategy seems to have paid off as US President Joe Biden issued his harshest critique of Israeli policies recently after the occupation invaded Rafah. Biden said he would block some future weaponry shipments if "Israel" launched a full-scale invasion.
In an attempt to bribe the Israeli occupation, the Biden administration has reportedly offered to provide "Israel" with "sensitive intelligence" on the whereabouts of senior Hamas leaders, only if it holds off the invasion of Rafah, which holds more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering there amid the ongoing Israeli war on Gaza.
Four unnamed sources were quoted by The Washington Post as saying that the United States "is offering Israel valuable assistance if it holds back, including sensitive intelligence to help the Israeli military pinpoint the location of Hamas leaders and find the group's hidden tunnels."
Rafah invasion is to prevent Netanyahu's fall: Israeli media
Israeli Reserve General Gadi Shamni, former head of the Gaza Division, said today that the Israeli invasion of Rafah has a political goal and that is to prevent the fall of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, as reported by Israeli media.
Speaking with Israeli i24 news as he took part in an event in occupied Bir al-Sabe', Shamni said that threats from Israeli Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich are the only reason behind a Rafah invasion as they have threatened to overthrow the Israeli government if this invasion is not completed.
He stressed that sending Israeli occupation forces into a battle for the sake of achieving political goals is considered as crossing red lines emphasizing that there is no logic behind developments in Rafah.
Shamni said the worse the situation becomes the more that will pave the way for extremist views in Netanyahu's government, adding that as an example, it will increase the chances of Smotrich implementing his plan of displacing the Arabs.
