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Gaza's Hamas leader says Palestinian civilians' deaths are ‘necessary sacrifices’ to keep war raging
The remarks, made by Yahya Sinwar who helped mastermind the October 7 attack, were made in disturbing messages that have been leaked.
A top Hamas official in Gaza has admitted that he thinks the deaths of Palestinian civilians are “necessary sacrifices” to keep its war against Israel going. The remarks, made by Yahya Sinwar who helped mastermind the October 7 attack, were made in disturbing messages that have been leaked.
Sinwar boasted about his efforts to stall ceasefire talks. “We have the Israelis right where we want them,” he said in a message to Hamas officials meeting with Qatari and Egyptian negotiators.
Sinwar appeared cold in the dozens of messages reviewed by the Wall Street Journal. Some of the messages were addressed to Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, whose three sons were killed on April 10 in an Israeli airstrike.
Sinwar told Haniyeh that the deaths of his sons, along with other Palestinians’ deaths in Gaza, would only “infuse life into the veins of this nation, prompting it to rise to its glory and honor.”
‘That should not have happened’
The IDF arrested Sinwar in 1988, but released him in 2011 in a hostage exchange. His letters, sent to Hamas officials and negotiators, revealed that even he was shocked by the brutality the terrorists unleashed on October 7.
“Things went out of control,” Sinwar said in a message talking about women and children being kidnapped. “People got caught up in this, and that should not have happened.”
From the messages, it appeared as though Sinwar wishes to make the war last as long as possible. He condemned his superiors’ talks to seek an agreement with Israel.
“As long as fighters are still standing and we have not lost the war, such contacts should be immediately terminated,” he said. “We have the capabilities to continue fighting for months.”
Sinwar said in his most recent messages that he is determined to keep the fight going until Israel loses international support, even if it means he has to eventually die. “We have to move forward on the same path we started,” Sinwar wrote.
“Or let it be a new Karbala,” he added, referencing the 7th-century battle in Iraq where the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson was killed.
