Professor John Spencer of West Point, who studies urban warfare, has famously concluded from his study of the IDF that “Israel has implemented more precautions to prevent civilian harm than any military in history—above and beyond what international law requires.” Now he has delivered himself of some thoughts on the death of Yahya Sinwar and how Hamas is now at the breaking point, More on his animadversions can be found here: “What Yayha [sic] Sinwar’s Death Revealed About Hamas’s Waning Capabilities | Opinion,” by John Spencer, Newsweek,
Last week, in a surprising chance contact, Israeli forces eliminated the leader of Hamas and the mastermind of the October 7 massacre, Yayha Sinwar. Like the death of Osama bin Laden 10 years after 9-11, Sinwar’s death gives strategic closure to many people in Israel; Sinwar was the mastermind and commander of the deadliest massacre against Jews since the Holocaust, and the atrocities of October 7 caused deep psychological trauma for Jews, along with a loss of personal security that will be felt for a long time. The closure Sinwar’s death provides Israeli’s population is important for their moving forward and healing as a nation.
But there’s also poetic justice in the facts surrounding who killed Sinwar, when, and where. Sinwar was not killed by Israeli Special Forces acting on information collected by their elite intelligence organizations. He was killed by regular Israeli soldiers with tanks from the IDF’s Gaza division. It was the same division that collapsed on October 7. Videos and photos of their tanks and crews pillaged, burned, and desecrated were spread by so called journalists who travelled with Hamas on their massacre. The soldiers that killed Sinwar were also from the same unit that accidentally killed three Israeli hostages in Norther Gaza nine months ago.
Sinwar was also killed on the first day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a seven-day festival period during which Jews recall the days when the Israelites lived in huts (sukkot) during their years after the Exodus from Egypt. Sinwar initiated the October 7 massacre on the last day of Sukkot last year.
Then there’s the fact that Sinwar was killed in the city of Rafah in Southern Gaza. Israel’s government had to overrule the strong objections and threats of the international community to move into Rafah, yet that is where six Israeli hostages were found after they were brutally murdered last month. Over 100 cross-border tunnels being used to arm and supply Hamas were also found there.
But the details of Sinwar’s death also tell us a lot about the state of Hamas. Much like when U.S. forces discovered Saddam Hussein cowering in a hole, the myth about Sinwar has been busted. He was not found looking defiant and capable, surrounded by an elite bodyguard force in one of the luxury bunkers discovered in areas of Gaza like Khan Yunis. Sinwar was killed looking desperate, dirty, and disheveled, living in fear, running from tunnel to tunnel, rubbled house to rubbled house, with only a couple other men, in a district he had hidden in because the world told the IDF they could not go there.
He was not commanding a military force with any capability. He oversaw nothing.
He had the pocket litter of a bum: a pack of mentos, tissues, some money, and a fake passport with the occupation listed as employee of United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Hamas is clearly broken. It clearly is operating without leadership, on autopilot and functioning as separate, disconnected guerrilla gangs completely unable to do organized acts….
Sinwar’s death has dealt a devastating blow to Hamas’ morale, and been a cause for rejoicing in Israel. He died alone, wretched, exhausted, terrified. His “act of defiance” that some Arab sites are praising consisted of impotently throwing a stick at an IDF drone. When he emerged from his latest tunnel hideout and then ran to find shelter in the building where he was killed, that may have been the only time he had been above ground since he first entered the tunnel network on October 6, 2023. He would have seen the rubble of Rafah all around him, and realized what the attack launched by Hamas at his direction had wrought on Gaza and its civilians. Did he have a pang of remorse for bringing about such devastation? Or did he still think, just before his own death, that the deaths of Gazan civilians, as he once said, were “necessary sacrifices” in the endless war on the Jewish state?
SKA says
Yemach shmo.
May his name be accursed!
Mike says
“He had the pocket litter of a bum.” That aptly describes him.
He didn’t even have a decent-looking beard, like OBL or Saddam Hussein. He had slightly more than a five-o-clock shadow, like Homer Simpson or Fred Flintstone.
Plus, he was all covered with soot, ash, sand and dirt, and his clothes were tattered, like a ragamuffin. What a scuffy, shabby critter.
Now, if he had thrown a shoe instead of a stick, that would have been a bit more impressive. Or, if he had pulked down his pants and mooned the drone while simultaneously farting at it.
What a pathetic schmuck he was! People might as well idolize pond scum before idolising him.
somehistory says
His mouth was full of ugly, discolored teeth. And his tongue was full of murderous deceit.
Mike says
In the end though, he became more “open-minded,” so to speak.
Those soldiers definitely did a vood job of rehabilitating him. Dandelions need nourishment, too.
MD Anthony says
Saying “Collapse of Hamas” is little different than saying “Collapse of Islam”.
It doesn’t happen
One terrorist group fades and then the remnants morph into a new name for another terrorist group. There is no central command in “Islam the One Party Suicide Religion” is focused on the goals of Death and Destruction as the highest calling for all, even their own
abu taleb says
> Saying “Collapse of Hamas” is little different than saying “Collapse of Islam”.
It is big different. You are correct that one terrorist group will be replaced by another one. But it doesn’t have to be terrorist group, individual muslim can do terrorism quite easily as long as Islam exists. There are milions of muslim around the world who hate the Jews as well as other non muslims, they are ready to become terrorists when the situation arises.
OLD GUY says
There will be no peace as long as there is ISLAM. Islam teaches hate and violence to it’s young children in the mosques around the world. Anything or one who doesn’t follow islamic rule is the enemy of Islam and must pay or be killed.
Mike says
There are even many Muslims who teach that Muslims of other denominations are heretics or apostates and should be killed (for example, the longstanding Sunni versus Shia conflict, though there are other ones too).
gravenimage says
All too true…
Captain Quirk says
@Mike: If you will take the trouble looking at mohamedan men more often, you’ll find that a majority of them has a ‘five-day stubble’, not a beard, no a stubble. I’m told that that is in emulation of mohamed.
I like the fact that you use the word ‘ragamuffin’. I first read that word in ‘The Thirty-nine Steps’, which book was at the origin of a movie with the same name by Hitchcock. In the book it was used as a filler, I recall, but I just ‘googled’ it, and it turns out that very frequently it refers to a child, though. Sinwar was no child.
Sinwar was filth.
Shalom says
Thanks for giving me a well needed chuckle. Brilliant summary!
somehistory says
According to an article on the msn today, sinwar left “chilling” directions for what was to happen if he got eliminated. (didn’t read “chilling* to me)
Supposedly, he left instructions for the other hamas ghouls to keep fighting; supposedly he left instructions as to who was to take his place.
Perhaps whoever “takes his place,” will have the same destiny as the guy who took the lead of the hezbollah ghouls. And perhaps this will happen just as quickly as it happened to the hezbollah replacement.
sinwar was a ghoul; a mass-murdering terrorist. Now, he’s worm food.
His kids are so much better off without him teaching them to hate and to murder and to steal.
Waldorf (no worms in my salad! and certainly no Sinwar either) says
@somehistory: You say he’s worm food. I rather doubt that. Worms die when they eat his rotting flesh.
somehistory says
Waldorf, it’s a sacrifice they make for us humans. Otherwise, just imagine how long before the total decay would take place. Ewwwwh.
SC says
So basically sinwar was what all terrorists are a gutless coward gang leader. Dear IDF please continue your gang clean up activities.
gravenimage says
+1
MD Anthony says
Sinwaar was killed in the process of leaving Gaza…..is that because he already killed all the remaining hostages?
Any valid signs of life for the remaining hostages???
Is anuone asking???
somehistory says
Israel is asking, and Egypt is trying to “negotiate” for hamas to give up and give over the hostages.
Evidently, the place where sinwar was killed was not far from the tunnel where six of the hostages had been murdered.
there may be few still alive. and hamas has so far turned down the Egyptians.
St Croix says
There well may be some alive. Remember that young woman abducted on the back of a motorcycle, one of those rescued in that daring daytime plan. Noa Argamani. A face all who were watching remembered. One I never stopped praying for once I found out her identity. She was in a house with a family, basically being used as a servant/slave, doing work for them. There may be many more in such circumstances. Let’s keep hope alive! And pray, if you are a praying person at all, PRAY for their return. It will be wonderful news to get some more out of there alive.
gravenimage says
+1
Statler says
Good Q
gravenimage says
The Death of Yahya Sinwar and the Collapse of Hamas
……………………………………
I *hope* this means the collapse of Hamas.
Taffy says
Hamas will not be completely defeated until every last one is dead. A cancer is not cured until every last cancer cell is killed or removed from the body. Leave just one, and it all comes Back.
UMA MAHESWAR NAKKA says
Scraping off the obnoxious weeds from the Garden of humans, keeps it clean, beautiful, hale & healthy😊
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Hamas getting decimated doesn’t mean much by itself, since Fatah and islamic jihad are all on the same page. Yeah, their fighters are all destroyed, but if they merge w/ those other 2, they’ll be back again
Once Israel is done w/ Lebanon & Iran, Fatah & islamic jihad should be the next targets
Troybeam says
Collapse of Hamas, not a chance. They are global and when you eliminate one there are others to take the deceased place. After WW2, there were people who hunted down the Nazi’s so why can it not be done today?
Transmaster says
What is happening is with the murderous enforcers of Hamas gone the rank-file are now spilling the guts. It will not be much longer before the location of the remaining hostages is found.
Sir Peter says
The can never be peace while one moslem remains alive