Contrary to misguided epitaphs of “legendary leader” and “martyr”, Hamas leader Sinwar was a cold-blooded killer.

By Lawrence Nowosenetz

Ensconced in his alternative universe, Iqbal Jassat – an executive member of the notoriously anti-Israel and antisemitic South African platform ‘Media Review Network’ – laments Yahya Sinwar as an:

“Iconic leader martyred by Zionist colonialists.”

(Politicsweb 21 October 2024)

A continent away on his home turf, Mr Sinwar was far better known as the “Butcher of Khan Younis”.

Yahya Sinwar was a brutal and ruthless murderer and mostly of fellow Palestinians. He was born and brought up in Khan Younis in Gaza. In 1988, he was arrested and convicted by Israel of murdering four suspected collaborators among other crimes against Israeli soldiers. He was given four life sentences. He admitted to killing one of them with his bare hands. He continued to take upon himself to punish suspected informers. According to a former Shin Bet interrogator, Michael Koube, he was the “cruellest man” with “murder in his eyes.” During interrogation, Sinwar expressed his preference for the machete as weapon of choice to kill Jews. In 2004, he developed a brain tumour, which Israeli surgeons at Soroka Medical Center removed what would have been  fatal .  They saved his life.  Sinwar acknowledged his debt to Dr Yuval Bitton the prison medical officer who enabled Sinwar to receive medical attention. However, his nephew Tamir died defending Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7. Tamir, who had been seriously wounded while attempting to fight off five terrorists, was eventually subdued, taken to Gaza, where he died soon after of his wounds. That’s the thanks the doctor uncle received from saving the life of Sinwar!

According to South Africa’s Mr Jassat, “For millions of Muslims and millions of more supporters across the world of Palestine’s freedom struggle, Sinwar’s martyrdom may mark the end of a legendary anti-colonial warrior, but not the end of the Resistance”. Resounding words as disingenuous as they are false.  

Martyrdom is understood to be laying down one’s life for something of great value for a principle or cause. Sinwar was a fervent adherent of the ideology of Hamas that Israel should be destroyed and replaced by a Muslem state. For this goal he was prepared to sacrifice the lives of Palestinians.  At the time of his death, Sinwar was holed up in a building in Gaza armed with a false UNRWA passport and lots of cash. It would appear that he was not warrioring at all but was preparing an escape. He masterminded his armed terrorists to invade a sovereign country under ceasefire with Hamas. There they performed with glee, the burning of babies, mutilation and rape of women, murder of 1200 civilians and the abduction of 250 men, women, children and babies to languish in Gaza. 101 hostages are still being held in captivity one year later. No “resistance” or “anti-colonial” movement in human history has contemplated or carried out such barbarous acts. Can one seriously infer that mass atrocities are of value to the cause of Palestine by the millions of Muslims and their supporters across the world?

There is no equivalence between the price paid by the fallen heroes and heroines in the struggle against Apartheid and Sinwar. He was no hero. His killers exultantly attacked and slaughtered unarmed peaceful youngsters at the Nova music festival. Not exactly a heroic way to secure the freedom of Palestine. 

While some have chosen to compare Sinwar to Mandela and other fighters who opposed Apartheid, it is an insult to the memory of those South African heroes and heroines to place Sinwar in their company. Israeli government officials who knew Sinwar well during his 22-years of imprisonment, described his character as cruel, manipulative, brutal and even psychopathic. 

While there is the rule of law in Israel and Palestinians have access to the courts to redress unlawful conduct by the authorities, this is something which does not exist in Palestine. Dissident journalists are beaten up and even killed. Homosexuals too.  Hamas under the leadership of Mr Sinwar was no haven of democracy: 

• No elections since 2007, the first and only elections held in Gaza.  Ismail Haniyeh led Hamas in Gaza until February 2017 when Yahya Sinwar succeeded him until present. 
• No independent judiciary, no rule of law. The Washington-based international research institute Freedom House which ranks civil liberties and political rights in countries and territories of the world, rated Gaza with a score of 7% compared to Israel with a score of 74%.                               

Despite attempts by Jasset and his ilk to whitewash the Hamas leader, Sinwar was no saint. On the contrary, he was what his fellow Palestinians named him:

“The Butcher of Khan Younis”

About the writer:

Now retired, Pretoria-born human rights and labour lawyer, Lawrence Nowosenetz practiced at the Pretoria and Johannesburg Bar. Recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship, Nowosenetz completed an internship in the USA and served as a part-time Senior Commissioner at the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA) as well as a panellist at Tokiso Dispute Settlement – the largest private dispute resolution provider in South Africa. He has also served as an Acting Judge of the Hight Court, South Africa.  

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