IDF releasing photos and a video showing the Hamas leader during his last moments alive and after his death backfired
The image of Sinwar “standing on the battlefield — in combat attire and out in the open, not in a hideout, facing the enemy” would only strengthen his following, the Iranians predicted
Beverley Milton-Edwards, a senior fellow at the Middle East Council on Global Affairs said, "They’re probably right" and sees the episode as a win for Hamas “in the battle of narratives”
An IDF official stood by the decision to release the images, telling The Washington Post that the military felt an obligation to document the scene and share it with the Israeli public
“We’re being transparent; this is what happened” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, to discuss internal deliberations“We know that no matter what visuals come out, there is going to be a campaign by Hamas to make him a hero”
Almost immediately after DNA and fingerprint testing confirmed Sinwar’s identity, the IDF began describing the circumstances leading to his death
Israeli troops operating around Rafah on Wednesday had, by chance, come across three Hamas fighters, with one trailing the others
A firefight erupted, they said. The man in the rear, now believed to be Sinwar, was wounded, although IDF officials have said “there is no evidence” that he participated in the shooting
The injured figure fled alone into a nearby house. The surveillance drone was flown in and recorded him in the bloody armchair, head covered and face concealed. Tank rounds were fired into the room and the next morning, troops entered to find Sinwar’s body
Milton-Edwards, co-author of “Hamas,” a history of the group noted, that account, along with the photos and footage released afterward was at odds with Israel’s frequent descriptions, 1. of him hiding underground 2. shielding himself with Israeli captives 3. he wasn’t in a tunnel 4. didn’t have cowering and emaciated Israeli hostages tied to him 5. there were no Palestinian human shields
“Those images of Sinwar have already entered the pantheon of Hamas and other militant groups,” she said, and will likely lead to “more support, more recruits and more impetus for the resistance”
