How the reaction to the video of Yahya Sinwar’s final moments reflects the complexity of the Middle East | World News

The Israeli Defense Forces’ (IDF) release of film footage of Yahya Sinwar’s final moments has sparked a torrent of differing views across the Middle East.

THE video shows Hamas leader in a destroyed apartment, sitting in an armchair, dressed like a grassroots activist.

He turns towards the drone and throws what appears to be a stick before the video ends. Moments later, he was killed by a tank shell.

How this is interpreted depends, of course, on who you are, where you come from, and what you believe.

Sinwar’s last moments are, for many Palestiniansemblematic of their struggle and resistance against an expansionist and aggressive Zionist state.

For them, he is a hero, a symbol of firmness, wearing a keffiyeh – a Palestinian scarf – and carrying a rifle in the face of insurmountable obstacles.

His rhetoric often emphasized the Palestinian struggle against oppression, and his leadership resonated deeply with those who saw him as a champion of their cause.

“The greatest gift Israel can give me is to assassinate me,” he said in May 2021. “I would rather die as a martyr from an F-16 than die from the coronavirus, from a stroke or heart attack…”

In this context, the images were interpreted as a rallying cry, reinforcing the essential narrative of resistance and sacrifice that is at the heart of Palestinian identity.

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In Israel and among his allies, the image is framed in a very different way.

Yahya Sinwar is called a coward and is depicted as an animal hiding in tunnels and using children as human shields.

They often project an image of someone hiding safely, safe from bombs and bullets, and taking cover, while their people suffer the consequences of their terrorist ambitions.

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In this portrait, his security and personal fulfillment take priority over his people.

The conflict in the Middle East is extremely polarizing and reverberates beyond Israel and Palestine.

In Iran and Lebanon, where support for Palestinian resistance movements like Hamas is strong, Sinwar is celebrated in many circles as a hero.

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After the announcement of his death, the Iranian mission to the UN tweeted: “When Muslims admire Martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield – in combat gear and in the open, not in a hiding place, in the face of the enemy – the spirit of resistance will be strengthened.

“He will become a role model for young people and children who will continue his path towards the liberation of Palestine. As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will continue, because the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration.”

His video fits into existing narratives of resistance against Western hegemony and Israeli aggression.

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But other countries in the region that have better relations with Israel view him as a destabilizing force and hope his death will pave the way for a chance for peace.

Essentially, the way Yahya Sinwar’s video is received reflects the region’s deep-seated and complex beliefs and viewpoints.

How you view Israel, or Hamas and the Palestinian cause, will dictate what this drone footage means to you. The old adage has never been truer: “One person’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist.” »