An Israeli soldier’s time alone with Yahya Sinwar’s body

New Delhi:

An Israeli soldier involved in the operation that killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar detailed the minutes he spent alone with Sinwar’s body after the mission. Lt. Col. Itamar Eitam recounted how he found Sinwar lying in a shabby chair and described him as “a small, ugly and broken figure.”

“I just left Rafah. Not long ago I looked him – Sinwar – in the eyes. I was alone with him for a few minutes and looked at him – a small, ugly and broken figure lying on a shattered couch. ” wrote Lieutenant Colonel Eitam.

“This man has caused so much pain,” he wrote. “I looked at the destroyed city and even felt pain for it, but more than anything I felt insulted – insulted in the name of God. Because he too was once a baby and a child, and he had the choice, and he chose evil. What an insult that he was also a person created in your image. How much better the world is now, and we won’t give up. We will win. Happy holidays,” he added.

The killing of Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the deadly attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, is a major blow to Hamas. Israeli military officials confirmed that Sinwar was found and killed during a routine patrol in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, without previously disclosing information about his whereabouts.

According to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari, the patrol encountered three militants, including Sinwar, as they passed through Rafah. After separating from his group, Sinwar took cover in a building but was pursued by drones. Video footage showed him attempting a final act of defiance, throwing a stick at the drone just before Israeli forces neutralized him.

Forensic analysis confirmed Sinwar’s identity. An autopsy revealed a gunshot wound to the head. No hostages were found near him.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Sinwar’s death as a possible “beginning of the end” of the war. However, the families of the hostages remain concerned and are urging Israel to secure their release before further escalation occurs.

In the aftermath, Hamas acknowledged Sinwar’s death but vowed to continue its resistance, with the militant group saying his killing would only strengthen its resolve.