In a day marked by the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, displacement and more air strikes, exhausted Gazans said they just wanted to end more than a year of conflict that has brought untold suffering.
As news of Sinwar’s death spread on cell phones, the first images of his corpse buried in rubble with a gaping hole in his head quickly emerged online.
The brutal images marked a dramatic end for the Gaza native who emerged as leader of the Palestinian group after igniting a war that has engulfed the region and ultimately sealed his own fate.
But even as photos circulated and announcements swirled from Israeli news outlets, many were left in disbelief.
“The assassination of Yahya Sinwar is a tragedy for the people of Gaza, we did not expect it,” said Amal al-Hanawi, 28, from Nuseirat in the centre of the Gaza Strip where she took refuge after fleeing fighting in the north.
“I have the impression that Hamas is over, that there is no longer a powerful resistance, it has fallen apart,” she told AFP, saying that this is “exactly what Netanyahu wants”.
Much of Gaza has been levelled by Israel’s retaliatory assault on the territory after the October 7 Hamas attack last year that triggered the unrelenting onslaught.
The Hamas attack resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official Israeli figures.
Israel’s retaliation has killed at least 42,438 people, a majority civilians, according to figures from the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory, which the UN considers reliable.
With Sinwar’s death, many were left wondering if the end of the war may finally be in sight.
– Exhausted resistance –
“There is no longer any excuse for Netanyahu to continue this war of extermination,” said Moumen Abou Wassam, 22 years old.
His al-Tuffah nneighbourhood in Gaza City, was one of the oldest in the territory, known for its historic mosques, some of which date back to the 13th century.
It is been almost completely destroyed.
“With the will of God, the war will end, and we will see with our eyes the reconstruction of Gaza,” he said.
Before word spread of Sinwar’s death, the day was punctuated by artillery fire and air raids, including a strike that hit a school housing displaced people in the Jabalia camp that killed at least 14 people, according to two hospitals in the area.
The vast majority of Gazans have been forced to leave their homes, according to the United Nations, with many now facing a second winter in makeshift camps.
“We are exhausted, the war has gone too far, it has taken everything from us,” said Shadi Nofal Abou Maher, 23, saying he hopes “the world will intervene” to end the war.
In the streets as well as on social networks, Gazans nevertheless welcomed the “resistance” led by Sinwar, praising him for fighting until the end.
“He will be remembered as a leader who died on the battlefield,” said 36-year-old Ahmed Omar.
In the photos showing his corpse, many noted that Sinwar was wearing a keffiyeh — the traditional Palestinian scarf draped over his military fatigues with a weapon nearby.
Following the end of an earlier war with Israel in 2021, Sinwar was photographed displaying a rare, wide smile as he sat in an armchair surrounded by rubble.
Later, many Gazans also posted photos of themselves in a similar pose.
On Thursday evening, the image was once again shared by some on social media.
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