Articles In Egyptian Government Press Mourn Yahya Sinwar: He Was A 'Hero' Of Historical Significance; Millions Of Sinwars Will Follow In His Footsteps

Following the killing of Hamas political bureau chief Yahya Sinwar, architect of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack in southern Israel, the Egyptian government press published articles that praised him and presented him as "a symbol of the struggle," "a historic leader" and a brave "hero" who fired the opening shot of "the campaign to liberate Palestine." According to the writers, the figure of Sinwar will continue to illuminate the path of resistance, and "millions of Sinwars, stronger than him," will emerge until Palestine is liberated. The articles also praised the October 7 attack itself, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 241 were taken hostage, describing it as "a resounding blow to the occupation army" and "an extraordinary event unprecedented in Palestinian history."

Alongside these articles, the Egyptian government press also published cartoons mourning Sinwar's death and expressing support for armed Palestinian resistance. Many of them featured the inverted red triangle symbol, signifying an Israeli target about to be attacked, that has been associated with Hamas's terrorist activities since the beginning of the Gaza war.[1]

The red triangle, symbolizing the resistance, bids a tearful farewell to Yahya Sinwar (Al-Masri Al-Yawm, Egypt, October 20, 2024)

The following are translated excerpts from these articles published in the Egyptian government press:

Senior Egyptian Journalist: Sinwar – A Brave Hero Who Died A Martyr Defending His Homeland

Ahmad Abd Al-Wahhab, deputy director of the editorial board at the Egyptian government daily Akhbar Al-Yawm, published an article titled "Yahya Sinwar – A Hero to the End," in which he praised Sinwar's bravery, writing: "I was not surprised to hear the news about the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. I expected to hear about his martyrdom at any moment. The man who defended his land for years… chose to die on the battlefield, despite having the opportunity to flee the Gaza Strip...

"Sinwar died as a martyr after a long history of struggle to defend his homeland, Palestine... He gave a powerful slap in the face to Netanyahu's occupying government by preparing a plan that reflected his cleverness and strategic experience, [the plan] for the Hamas operatives' October 7, 2023 attack on the [Israeli] settlers.[2] This was a resounding blow to the occupation army...

"Sinwar could have fled Gaza after the October 7 operation, but he refused to do so and decided to stay with his troops, leading them on the battlefield in confronting the Zionist enemy. Yahya Sinwar's courage was not born overnight, but stemmed from a firm belief that defending the homeland and dying for the liberation of the land are the ultimate goals of the fighting soldier...

 "Following the dreadful news that the occupation army had assassinated the hero [Sinwar], the details of the operation and the images released by news agencies confirmed that Sinwar had been courageous  and steadfast as he fought until his very last breath... Sinwar died as a martyr on the battlefield, and his history of struggle will remain etched in the minds of the Palestinians and the Arab peoples. Israel believes that the death of Hamas' leader means the end of the [Palestinian] cause, but the resistance remains present and steadfast, and will not surrender..."[3]

Egyptian Journalist: Sinwar – A Symbol of National Liberation; Millions Of Sinwars Will Arise After Him

Jamal Nafi', a columnist for the government daily Al-Ahram, wrote under the title "Sinwar Is Dead but Palestine Will Remain": "God willed that Sinwar would not die in his bed but as a martyr, wearing a military vest and fighting the Israeli army until the very last moment, [acting] on the front lines with his men, rather than hiding in the tunnels behind human shields. [The fact that] he fired the first shot in the liberation campaign, and inflicted upon Israel the greatest military and intelligence defeat in its history, is sufficient reason for him to feel proud...

"None of the Israeli and Western intelligence [agencies] managed to locate Sinwar, a man in his sixties who led the resistance like a twenty-year-old. This made him a symbol of national liberation, and he will remain firmly etched in memory alongside heroic Palestinian resistance fighters like [Ahmad] Yassin, [Abd Al-Aziz] Al-Rantisi, [Yasser] Arafat, [Isma'il] Haniyeh and others.

"Sinwar – who was a thorn in the enemy's throat – is indeed dead, but the Palestinian cause will endure, and after Sinwar millions of [other] Sinwars, stronger than him, will emerge until Palestine is liberated."[4]

The war in northern and southern Gaza: "The resistance continues, the resistance is not dead" (Amlasryalyoum.com, October 22, 2024)

Egyptian Poet: Sinwar Has Taken His Place In History; He Is A Model Of Sacrifice

Egyptian poet Farouk Gouida, likewise a columnist for Al-Ahram, wrote that Sinwar "sacrificed his soul" while fighting alongside his men, and likened him to the heroes "who penned the most remarkable pages in the history of their people and nation." He wrote: "Yahya Sinwar has taken his place in the historical procession [of martyrs]. Dressed in his military uniform and bleeding, he ended his journey of heroism, giving his life for his people, his nation and his land. Sinwar died, leaving behind illuminating pages of self-sacrifice. He continued to fight alongside his soldiers, recalling the images of the heroes who penned the most remarkable pages in the history of their people and nation. He battled the oppressive occupier for a whole year as part of an extraordinary event unprecedented in the history of the Palestinian cause, standing firm with his people and surrounded by thousands of martyrs who did everything they could for their homeland...

"The leaders of the Palestinian resistance have no choice but to unite, so that Sinwar's death will mark the beginning of wise positions and so that the Al-Aqsa Flood will complete its course..."[5]

Egyptian Political Analyst: Sinwar Will Continue To Illuminate The Path of Resistance

Egyptian political analyst Dr. Wahid Abd Al-Magid, an advisor at the Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies and a columnist for the Al-Ahram daily, noted that Sinwar was the only leader among the resistance movements who was killed on the battlefield alongside his men. He wrote: "...The assassinations of [Ahmad] Yassin and [Isma'il] Haniyeh were carried out from the air by a missile fired from an Apache helicopter. Haniyeh's assassination took place in Tehran, where he was visiting to attend the inauguration of [the new Iranian president, Masoud] Pezeshkian... Conversely, Sinwar is the only leader among all the resistance movements who died a martyr in the heart of the battlefield, wielding his weapon and fighting like every resistance fighter on the ground.

"The criminals killed him without realizing [who he was], just as the Italian imperialists captured the jihad fighter Omar Al-Mukhtar[6] completely by chance while he was visiting the grave of one of the Prophet’s companions, Ruwaifi bin Thabit, in the city of Al-Bayda [in Libya], and later executed him in September 1931 while he stood proud and unbowed. Sinwar will continue to be a beacon illuminating the path of resistance, just as Al-Mukhtar illuminated the path for those who fight Western occupation everywhere."[7]