One common feature of revolutionary movements, whether they are underground or overground, is the importance of the animating leader. Hamas just lost one in Yahya Sinwar, when he was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza on Wednesday.
The group has lost leaders before, and it almost has a tradition of imperturbable endurance after such strikes. These leaders have ranged from the spiritual to the political and obviously the military. But Sinwar’s killing on the battlefield has historic implications that are embedded in who he was and his life story.
It is clear that Israel’s baseline war goal at this time is to hollow out the axis of groups that it has battled, having failed to deliver the rights of Palestinians over many decades. The levelling of much of Gaza and the brutal assault on its residents are ruthless outcomes of this. All that has happened since the pager attacks on the 2,000-odd Lebanese people, including Hezbollah associates, is another.
Where it ends is a different question, but clearly the death of Sinwar is a gateway of sorts to that point.
So many of the leaders who mattered the most across various Palestinian movements either were, or are, in their late fifties and sixties. Sinwar was 61. His one-time fellow prisoner Marwan Barghouti is 65. Mohammed Deif, the assassinated leader of Ezzedine Al Qassam Brigades, was 59. Mohammed Dahlan, the exiled Fatah dissident, is 63.
The Sinwar-orchestrated battle that the world has witnessed is a phase that has passed
Sinwar had a fixed point of grievance. That was his home, near what is now the expanding Israeli city of Ashkelon, from which his parents were driven even before he was born. The two decades spent in prison grafted a hardness that became his very core. The agenda he pursued was one of return underpinned by his social and religious values.
One of his contributions to Hamas was the enforcement of discipline that often included an unflinching retribution against traitors and dissenters. It was this ruthlessness that seemingly endured through all the days and nights of bombing and shooting in Gaza over the past year.
He was still going around inspecting the hostages taken from Israel on October 7 last year, following the bloody assault he masterminded. Having gained his own release through a hostage deal in 2011 – in exchange for an Israeli soldier named Gilad Shalit – Sinwar knew how fundamental this aspect was to the current conflict.
Historians will be left to argue over whether he understood that his tactic to take hostages backfired. Mr Netanyahu seems to have cast off any consideration for Israelis getting killed on the battlefield, which had been such a powerful factor since his country’s withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000.
We are still seeing the results of that step change for Israel today.
One of the developments of this war has been polling that shows that trust in Hamas has, in fact, fallen in Gaza as the suffering has grown. Yet, in what seems to be an act of solidarity, as well as the reaction to Israel’s incursions and rising settler impunity, the movement is polling higher in the West Bank.
The military threat posed by Hamas has certainly been degraded. But the cost to Israel has been significant, too, including to its economy and its reputation in the Arab world, the West and elsewhere.
That is where the dynamics after Sinwar’s death are bound to play out.
A split in Hamas into revolutionary factions is not something that will be easily avoided. There are still members of Sinwar’s generation who are set to have their time. With the world demanding the recognition of Palestine in a way that was unimaginable two years ago, some of these men will be tasked with keeping their movement alive.
They face an agenda on the Israeli side that gets some attention but not enough. Those who are pushing for a greater Israel know that the hollowing out of the threat from Iran-backed groups across the region, as well as from Tehran’s missile arsenals, provides an opening for them.
None of this will happen quickly. The Sinwar-orchestrated battle that the world has witnessed, not just over the past year but steadily since his release from prison, is a phase that has passed. It may have led to a new corner for the Palestinians, the Israelis and the Levant overall. Hamas faces challenges within that changed landscape.
It is not just a matter of the group replacing its leader. The spiritual, political and military agendas will necessarily have to find a new balance. In a way, that was the decisive outcome of each time a leader was killed. But what is more fluid this time is what the struggle now represents.
The Palestinian people remain stuck below a threshold that has defied a political and diplomatic resolution for nearly 80 years. Sinwar, like his peers in their sixties, had a vision for how to get over that ledge. Hamas must now change with the times or face the reality that time has moved.
New faces will come forward to take leadership positions, but unlike Sinwar they will need to ensure that their vision fits with the changing times, not the other way round.
Specs
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
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BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
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Specs
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Tips for newlyweds to better manage finances
All couples are unique and have to create a financial blueprint that is most suitable for their relationship, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial. He offers his top five tips for couples to better manage their finances.
Discuss your assets and debts: When married, it’s important to understand each other’s personal financial situation. It’s necessary to know upfront what each party brings to the table, as debts and assets affect spending habits and joint loan qualifications. Discussing all aspects of their finances as a couple prevents anyone from being blindsided later.
Decide on the financial/saving goals: Spouses should independently list their top goals and share their lists with one another to shape a joint plan. Writing down clear goals will help them determine how much to save each month, how much to put aside for short-term goals, and how they will reach their long-term financial goals.
Set a budget: A budget can keep the couple be mindful of their income and expenses. With a monthly budget, couples will know exactly how much they can spend in a category each month, how much they have to work with and what spending areas need to be evaluated.
Decide who manages what: When it comes to handling finances, it’s a good idea to decide who manages what. For example, one person might take on the day-to-day bills, while the other tackles long-term investments and retirement plans.
Money date nights: Talking about money should be a healthy, ongoing conversation and couples should not wait for something to go wrong. They should set time aside every month to talk about future financial decisions and see the progress they’ve made together towards accomplishing their goals.
Racecard
5.25pm: Etihad Museum – Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,200m
6pm: Al Shindaga Museum – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (Dirt) 1,200m
6.35pm: Poet Al Oqaili – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
7.10pm: Majlis Ghurfat Al Sheif – Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 1,600m
7.45pm: Hatta – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,400m
8.20pm: Al Fahidi – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh87,500 (D) 2,200m
8.55pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m
9.30pm: Coins Museum – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,600m
10.05pm: Al Quoz Creative – Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'C'mon C'mon'
Director:Mike Mills
Stars:Joaquin Phoenix, Gaby Hoffmann, Woody Norman
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Votes
Total votes: 1.8 million
Ashraf Ghani: 923,592 votes
Abdullah Abdullah: 720,841 votes
