In a world torn by tragedy and war, the news of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death has rocked the Gaza region. Exhausted Gazans yearn for an end to a year of conflict that has brought immeasurable suffering.
As news of Sinwar’s death began to spread via cellphones, the first images of his body buried under rubble, with a gaping wound to his head, quickly surfaced online. The brutal images marked a dramatic end for the Gaza native, who became leader of the Palestinian group after sparking a war that engulfed the region and sealed his own fate.
But even with the photos and Israeli media announcements, many were in disbelief. “The assassination of Yahya Sinwar is a tragedy for the people of Gaza, we did not expect it,” said Amal al-Hanawi, 28, from Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, where she fled fighting in the north. “I feel like Hamas is finished, there is no more powerful resistance, it has collapsed,” she told AFP, saying that is “exactly what Netanyahu wants.”
Much of Gaza has been devastated by Israeli reprisals after Hamas attacked on October 7 last year that sparked the relentless assault. The Hamas attack killed 1,206 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures. Israel’s retaliation has killed at least 42,438 people, mostly civilians, according to Health Ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory, which the UN considers reliable.
With Sinwar’s death, many wondered whether the end of the war was finally in sight. “There is no longer any excuse for Netanyahu to continue this war of extermination,” said Moumen Abu Wassam, 22. His Gaza City neighborhood of al-Tuffah, one of the oldest in the region, known for its historic mosques dating back to the 13th century, was almost completely destroyed. “With the will of God, the war will end, and we will see with our own eyes the reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.
Before news of Sinwar’s death spread, the day had been punctuated by artillery fire and airstrikes, including a strike that hit a school housing displaced people in the Jabalia camp, killing at least 14 people, according to two hospitals in the area. The vast majority of Gaza’s residents have been forced from their homes, according to the United Nations, and many are facing a second winter in makeshift camps.
“We are exhausted, the war has gone too far, it has taken everything from us,” said Shadi Nofal Abou Maher, 23, hoping that “the world will step in” to end the conflict. On the streets and on social media, Gazans nonetheless hailed Sinwar’s “resistance,” praising him for fighting to the end. “He will be remembered as a leader who died on the battlefield,” said Ahmed Omar, 36.
Many of the photos showing his body emphasized that Sinwar was wearing a keffiyeh — the traditional Palestinian headscarf draped over his military fatigues — with a weapon nearby. After an earlier war with Israel ended in 2021, Sinwar was photographed flashing a rare, broad smile as he sat in an armchair surrounded by rubble. Later, many Gazans also posted photos of themselves in a similar pose.
By Thursday evening, the image was being shared again by some on social media. The tragedy that struck Gaza has left its indelible mark, leaving people hoping for a long-awaited peace.