Hezbollah vows escalation after Sinwar’s death, Iran says ‘resistance will endure’
Tehran shares image of Hamas chief’s last moments, glorifies him as ‘facing the enemy’; Hamas officially mum but senior member appears to admit leader is indeed dead
Iran’s mission to the United Nations said Thursday that the killing of Hamas terror group leader Yahya Sinwar would lead to the strengthening of “resistance” in the region, hours after Israel confirmed it had killed the terror chief, while Lebanon’s Hezbollah declared a “transition to a new and escalatory phase” in the war.
The Islamic Republic shared a still image taken from drone footage of Sinwar’s last moments, in which the terror leader is seen, face covered and injured, throwing a stick at the Israeli surveillance device.
The mission compared Sinwar with Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, a longtime foe of Iran whom American troops captured in 2003.
“When US forces dragged a disheveled Saddam Hussein out of an underground hole, he begged them not to kill him despite being armed. Those who regarded Saddam as their model of resistance eventually collapsed,” the mission said on X.
“However, when Muslims look up to Martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield — in combat attire and out in the open, not in a hideout, facing the enemy — the spirit of resistance will be strengthened.”
Sinwar was found with some NIS 40,000 ($10,770) in cash, and documents including the passport of a Gazan UNRWA teacher. The Israeli military said the terror leader was probably attempting “to escape to the north [of Gaza], to safer areas” as troops closed in.
When U.S. forces dragged a disheveled Saddam Hussein out of an underground hole, he begged them not to kill him despite being armed. Those who regarded Saddam as their model of resistance eventually collapsed. However, when Muslims look up to Martyr Sinwar standing on the… pic.twitter.com/S1QUN47y83
— I.R.IRAN Mission to UN, NY (@Iran_UN) October 17, 2024
Iran supports Hamas, which invaded Israel from Gaza on October 7, 2023, slaughtering some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages, starting the ongoing war.
Sinwar was the main architect of that attack, which saw thousands of terrorists burst into southern Israel, attacking a music festival and carrying out widespread murder and sexual violence, as well as targeting military bases.
Israeli soldiers killed the terror leader in a firefight in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Wednesday, with Israeli authorities confirming his identity on Thursday.
Sinwar “will become a model for the youth and children who will carry forward his path toward the liberation of Palestine. As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration,” the Iranian mission said.
Hamas itself has been largely silent since news broke of Sinwar’s death, although a statement issued Friday by one of its political leaders abroad tacitly — but not directly — confirmed the development and said that Israel is mistaken if it “believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people.”
Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim said that past leaders in the organization had also been killed and “Hamas each time became stronger and more popular, and these leaders became an icon for future generations to continue the journey toward a free Palestine.”
He added that it is “painful and distressing to lose beloved people, especially extraordinary leaders” but that the Palestinian terror group is sure it will be “eventually victorious.”
When asked if the statement was a confirmation of Sinwar’s death, Naim said it was not.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday urged members of the terror group holding the hostages to lay down their arms, promising to let them live if they do so. He also said the war could “end tomorrow” if Hamas surrendered and freed all the hostages.
Lebanon’s Hezbollah terror group, meanwhile, said it was launching a new phase in its war against Israel, saying it has used precision-guided missiles to target troops.
In a statement late Wednesday, Iran-backed Hezbollah announced “the transition to a new and escalatory phase in the confrontation with the Israeli enemy,” adding that precision-guided missiles “are being used for the first time.”
Since October 8, Hezbollah-led forces have attacked Israeli communities and military posts along the border on a near-daily basis, with the group saying it is doing so to support Gaza amid the war there.
Some 60,000 Israeli residents were evacuated from northern towns on the Lebanon border shortly after Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, amid fears Hezbollah would carry out a similar attack, and amid increasing rocket fire by the terror group.
After a year of tit-for-tat skirmishes, Israel launched a new offensive against Hezbollah in September, devastating the group’s leadership and killing its longtime chief, Hassan Nasrallah.
Israel launched a limited ground operation in southern Lebanon earlier this month. Five soldiers were killed Thursday and others wounded there, as operations against the terror group continue.
