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Sinwar Is Dead; So Why Aren’t Israelis Celebrating?
Yahya Sinwar, head of the Palestinian terror group Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City on April 14, 2023. Photo: Yousef Masoud / SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect
Yahya Sinwar, architect of the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and known even to Palestinians as “the butcher of Khan Yunis,” was killed last week in Gaza by an IDF patrol. The details, as well as Sinwar’s horrific past, are widely known. But here are some insights that are less well known.
In 1989, Sinwar was sentenced to four life sentences in Israeli prison for orchestrating the abduction and killing of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians he considered to be “collaborators.” As part of a 2011 deal to recover Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier held hostage in Gaza, Sinwar was released with about 1,000 other prisoners.
This confirmed for Hamas that hostage-taking (apparently) works. Along with Sinwar, many of those former prisoners played key roles in the October 7 massacre.
During his time in prison, Israeli doctors performed brain surgery to save Sinwar from cancer. The surgeon’s nephew, Tamir Adar, was among those murdered by Sinwar’s fanatics on October 7.
Israeli hospitals continue to treat Sinwar’s family, including his sister who gave birth last February in Israel’s Soroka Medical Center, even as Sinwar was fighting in Gaza and holding Israelis hostage.
The mood here in Israel is one of quiet satisfaction, relief, even a sense of justice. Israelis hope that Sinwar’s death leads to greater safety, and to the return of the 101 remaining hostages. Yet unlike America in the days following the 2011 assassination of Osama Bin Laden, Israelis are not celebrating. There are several reasons why, and each gives unique insight into the Israeli soul.
For one thing, Israelis feel that events never should have come to this point in the first place: we are slowly and painstakingly trying to rebuild the internal safety and regional deterrence that we never should have lost. Of course, we also remain painfully aware of the 101 hostages are still in Gaza, and nothing will feel quite like a victory until they are all home.
Israel’s northern residents have yet to return to their homes, and we are still fighting on seven different fronts, including in Gaza. Sinwar’s death is an important step, but for all that, only a step. This is far from over.
Yet there is another reason, deeper and more subtle, for Israel’s subdued reaction: in 14 years living in Israel, I’ve never seen Israelis celebrate the death of anyone — not Hamas chief Ismael Haniyeh, or PLO chairman (and architect of the Second Intifada) Yasser Arafat.
Israelis recognize self-defense as a painful necessity, maybe even a source of quiet satisfaction for a difficult job well done, but not a source of joy. Israelis find joy in holidays, in our Independence Day, births, graduations, and weddings, but not in killing — even when it’s the right thing to do.
The world, in particular liberals of the world, can (and should) learn an important lesson from Israel: that one can stand fundamentally against war and killing, yet also accept its necessity when faced with threats to our lives, our safety and our most basic humanity. This apparent paradox, which is also a fundamental truth, lies at the core of the Israeli soul.
The United States expressed pride in Israel’s capabilities, even taking partial credit for them; for example, Vice President Kamala Harris said, “… to any terrorist who kills Americans … we will always bring you to justice.” Yet Harris glossed over the fact that Sinwar was killed in Rafah, an area of Gaza that Harris herself, along with the Biden administration, had furiously pressured Israel to not enter, including by withholding critical military resupply.
In contrast to global pride and awe over Israel’s effectiveness, in the days before Sinwar’s death, the White House issued (and publicly leaked) a letter threatening an arms embargo against Israel, the UK threatened to begin placing international sanctions on Israeli members of Knesset, and France cut off military sales.
There is both a superficial rationale for these actions as well as a deeper truth that points toward a global shift in the world order.
Superficially, these actions are about topics such as humanitarian aid in Gaza (notwithstanding that Hamas continues to steal much of it) and protecting UNRWA (the UN agency charged with aiding Palestinians that has been exposed as directly aiding Hamas, including militarily), and absurd claims that Israel is committing “genocide” (utterly unsupported by relevant numbers, data, and basic common sense).
Yet there is another possible reason for international pressure on Israel: though welcome, Israel’s victories are also humiliating.
France, for example, considers itself a kind of elder statesman to its former colony of Lebanon, yet proved impotent against Hezbollah’s (and by extension Iran’s) takeover of the entire country. Great Britain, former administer of the “British Mandate of Palestine,” has proved utterly without influence over Palestinian terror groups. And of course, the United States has found itself incapable of managing world events, bringing back American hostages from Gaza, protecting its own service people from Iranian attacks, protecting international shipping from Iran’s proxies, or even bringing justice to terrorists on America’s own “most wanted” lists.
Israel is accomplishing many of these tasks with astounding speed and alacrity including: dismantling terror groups, degrading Iranian influence, bringing America’s enemies to justice, and in many cases, doing so against direct international pressure. In short, Israel is exercising the very kind of independence and global influence that the world’s former colonial powers used to believe that they alone possessed.
The Middle East is on the verge of potentially becoming safer, more prosperous and more independent — and that is something that really is worth celebrating.
Daniel Pomerantz is the CEO of RealityCheck, an organization dedicated to deepening public conversation through robust research studies and public speaking.
The post Sinwar Is Dead; So Why Aren’t Israelis Celebrating? first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Hamas Warns Against Cooperation with US Relief Efforts In Bid to Restore Grip on Gaza
Hamas terrorists carry grenade launchers at the funeral of Marwan Issa, a senior Hamas deputy military commander who was killed in an Israeli airstrike during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, in the central Gaza Strip, Feb. 7, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ramadan Abed
The Hamas-run Interior Ministry in Gaza has warned residents not to cooperate with the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, as the terror group seeks to reassert its grip on the enclave amid mounting international pressure to accept a US-brokered ceasefire.
“It is strictly forbidden to deal with, work for, or provide any form of assistance or cover to the American organization (GHF) or its local or foreign agents,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement Thursday.
“Legal action will be taken against anyone proven to be involved in cooperation with this organization, including the imposition of the maximum penalties stipulated in the applicable national laws,” the statement warns.
The GHF released a statement in response to Hamas’ warnings, saying the organization has delivered millions of meals “safely and without interference.”
“This statement from the Hamas-controlled Interior Ministry confirms what we’ve known all along: Hamas is losing control,” the GHF said.
The GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza in late May, implementing a new aid delivery model aimed at preventing the diversion of supplies by Hamas, as Israel continues its defensive military campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group.
The initiative has drawn criticism from the UN and international organizations, some of which have claimed that Jerusalem is causing starvation in the war-torn enclave.
Israel has vehemently denied such accusations, noting that, until its recently imposed blockade, it had provided significant humanitarian aid in the enclave throughout the war.
Israeli officials have also said much of the aid that flows into Gaza is stolen by Hamas, which uses it for terrorist operations and sells the rest at high prices to Gazan civilians.
According to their reports, the organization has delivered over 56 million meals to Palestinians in just one month.
Hamas’s latest threat comes amid growing international pressure to accept a US-backed ceasefire plan proposed by President Donald Trump, which sets a 60-day timeline to finalize the details leading to a full resolution of the conflict.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump announced that Israel has agreed to the “necessary conditions” to finalize a 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, though Israel has not confirmed this claim.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to meet with Trump next week in Washington, DC — his third visit in less than six months — as they work to finalize the terms of the ceasefire agreement.
Even though Trump hasn’t provided details on the proposed truce, he said Washington would “work with all parties to end the war” during the 60-day period.
“I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” he wrote in a social media post.
Since the start of the war, ceasefire talks between Jerusalem and Hamas have repeatedly failed to yield enduring results.
Israeli officials have previously said they will only agree to end the war if Hamas surrenders, disarms, and goes into exile — a demand the terror group has firmly rejected.
“I am telling you — there will be no Hamas,” Netanyahu said during a speech Wednesday.
For its part, Hamas has said it is willing to release the remaining 50 hostages — fewer than half of whom are believed to be alive — in exchange for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and an end to the war.
While the terrorist group said it is “ready and serious” to reach a deal that would end the war, it has yet to accept this latest proposal.
In a statement, the group said it aims to reach an agreement that “guarantees an end to the aggression, the withdrawal [of Israeli forces], and urgent relief for our people in the Gaza Strip.”
According to media reports, the proposed 60-day ceasefire would include a partial Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, a surge in humanitarian aid, and the release of the remaining hostages held by Hamas, with US and mediator assurances on advancing talks to end the war — though it remains unclear how many hostages would be freed.
For Israel, the key to any deal is the release of most, if not all, hostages still held in Gaza, as well as the disarmament of Hamas, while the terror group is seeking assurances to end the war as it tries to reassert control over the war-torn enclave.
The post Hamas Warns Against Cooperation with US Relief Efforts In Bid to Restore Grip on Gaza first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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UK Lawmakers Move to Designate Palestine Action as Terrorist Group Following RAF Vandalism Protest
Police block a street as pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather to protest British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper’s plans to proscribe the “Palestine Action” group in the coming weeks, in London, Britain, June 23, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Jaimi Joy
British lawmakers voted Wednesday to designate Palestine Action as a terrorist organization, following the group’s recent vandalizing of two military aircraft at a Royal Air Force base in protest of the government’s support for Israel.
Last month, members of the UK-based anti-Israel group Palestine Action broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, a county west of London, and vandalized two Voyager aircraft used for military transport and refueling — the latest in a series of destructive acts carried out by the organization.
Palestine Action has regularly targeted British sites connected to Israeli defense firm Elbit Systems as well as other companies in Britain linked to Israel since the start of the conflict in Gaza in 2023.
Under British law, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has the authority to ban an organization if it is believed to commit, promote, or otherwise be involved in acts of terrorism.
Passed overwhelmingly by a vote of 385 to 26 in the lower chamber — the House of Commons — the measure is now set to be reviewed by the upper chamber, the House of Lords, on Thursday.
If approved, the ban would take effect within days, making it a crime to belong to or support Palestine Action and placing the group on the same legal footing as Al Qaeda, Hamas, and the Islamic State under UK law.
Palestine Action, which claims that Britain is an “active participant” in the Gaza conflict due to its military support for Israel, condemned the ban as “an unhinged reaction” and announced plans to challenge it in court — similar to the legal challenges currently being mounted by Hamas.
Under the Terrorism Act 2000, belonging to a proscribed group is a criminal offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison or a fine, while wearing clothing or displaying items supporting such a group can lead to up to six months in prison and/or a fine of up to £5,000.
Palestine Action claimed responsibility for the recent attack, in which two of its activists sprayed red paint into the turbine engines of two Airbus Voyager aircraft and used crowbars to inflict additional damage.
According to the group, the red paint — also sprayed across the runway — was meant to symbolize “Palestinian bloodshed.” A Palestine Liberation Organization flag was also left at the scene.
On Thursday, local authorities arrested four members of the group, aged between 22 and 35, who were charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the UK, as well as conspiracy to commit criminal damage.
Palestine Action said this latest attack was carried out as a protest against the planes’ role in supporting what the group called Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza.
At the time of the attack, Cooper condemned the group’s actions, stating that their behavior had grown increasingly aggressive and resulted in millions of pounds in damages.
“The disgraceful attack on Brize Norton … is the latest in a long history of unacceptable criminal damage committed by Palestine Action,” Cooper said in a written statement.
“The UK’s defense enterprise is vital to the nation’s national security and this government will not tolerate those that put that security at risk,” she continued.
The post UK Lawmakers Move to Designate Palestine Action as Terrorist Group Following RAF Vandalism Protest first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US-backed Gaza Relief NGO Vows ‘Legal Action’ Against AP Claim Group Fired on Palestinian Civilians
Palestinians collect aid supplies from the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 9, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed nonprofit operating aid distribution centers in the Gaza Strip, is pushing back forcefully against an Associated Press report alleging that its contractors opened fire on Palestinian civilians.
The GHF is accusing the AP of withholding key evidence and relying on a “disgruntled former contractor” as a central source.
“In response, we are pursuing legal action,” the organization said in a statement released Wednesday.
GHF said it conducted an “immediate investigation” after being contacted by the AP, reviewing time-stamped video footage and sworn witness testimony. The group concluded that the allegations were “categorically false,” stating that no civilians were fired upon at any of their distribution sites and that the gunfire heard in the AP’s video came from Israeli forces operating outside the vicinity.
“What is most troubling is that the AP refused to share the full video with us prior to publication, despite the seriousness of the allegations,” the statement read. “If they believed their own reporting, they should have provided us with the footage so we could take immediate and appropriate action.”
The nonprofit’s public rebuttal raises sharp questions about the AP’s reporting process, suggesting the outlet declined to engage with the organization in good faith and instead leaned on a source GHF describes as having been terminated “for misconduct” weeks prior. The group also claimed the AP’s recent coverage of its activities had begun to “echo narratives advanced by the Hamas-controlled Gaza Ministry of Health.”
The AP has not yet responded publicly to the GHF’s accusations or provided clarification about its decision not to share the video footage before publication. The original report alleged that American contractors employed by GHF had fired weapons near or toward civilians.
The GHF statement confirmed that a contractor seen shouting in the AP’s video had been removed from operations, though the group insisted this was unrelated to any violence and did not constitute evidence of wrongdoing.
GHF, which describes its mission as delivering food to Gaza “safely, directly, and without interference,” said it remains committed to transparency but would not allow its operations to be “derailed by misinformation.”
The dispute highlights the fraught information environment in Gaza, where limited access and competing narratives frequently complicate the verification of on-the-ground events.
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