Once again, Israel proves that its enemies, no matter how elusive they may believe themselves to be, are merely targets waiting to be hit. Yahya Sinwar, the supposed "leader" of Hamas, learned this lesson the hard way. Hiding in a crumbling house, thinking that a drone (possibly operated by a female IDF soldier!) would not find him. Sinwar likely thought he was safe—like a cockroach scurrying under the fridge when the lights come on. But the IDF, with precision and swiftness, eliminated him without breaking a sweat. 

To add insult to injury, they even scooped up his body and shipped it back to Israel in a black plastic bag for a final, unceremonious tour. Perhaps he will be buried in the wall that will protect the people of southern Israel or somewhere even less dignified. The imagery is potent: we have seen Israeli soldiers standing atop or near him, symbolizing his status below them in every way. Sinwar has, indeed, been put in his place. I am sure if the IDF knew that it was him in that building, they could have captured him alive.

Sinwar’s fate is not unique but rather the latest chapter in a long, humiliating story of Arab "leaders" who have been crushed by forces far superior than themselves. Superior in strategy, superior in technology, superior in intelligence. Let us take a quick stroll down memory lane, shall we?

First, Saddam Hussein. Once a self-proclaimed "lion" of the Arabs, Saddam was revered by his supporters as a powerful, fearless ruler who stood up to the West and occasionally attempted to provoke Israel. His followers, both in Iraq and across the Arab world, saw him as a symbol of strength and defiance against their perceived enemies. Yet, when faced with actual confrontation, Saddam’s might collapsed, and he was found cowering in a hole, a pitiful shadow of the man he pretended to be. His capture became a global spectacle of shame, leaving his supporters disillusioned.

I have seen many of them personally, they lowered their heads and did not speak a word. They went home quietly and closed the door. It is a shame for such well-educated people to have supported Saddam. They simply could not comprehend his defeat. His humiliation was also their humiliation. They were too embarrassed to discuss his fall, abandoning the man they had once idolised. Saddam’s downfall marked a significant moment in Arab history—it was a strong reminder that, for all the talk, these “lions” were anything but courageous when truly challenged.

Muammar Gaddafi, the self-styled "King of Kings" of Africa. He was a man whose supporters saw him as an unshakeable leader, a figure of grandeur and supposed unity across Africa and the Arab world. Even the former Egyptian president Jamal Abdul Nasir praised him. Although Gaddafi did not directly confront Israel, his regime projected an image of pan-Arab strength and a vague solidarity with anti-Israel sentiments. Gaddafi’s end was as undignified as Saddam’s. He was dragged from a drainpipe by his own people, lynched in the streets in an act of public rage and retribution. The man who once ruled Libya with an iron fist was reduced to a desperate fugitive, a reminder to his former followers that their “king” was no more than a coward when it came to facing his own people.

And then, there are the leaders who chose to confront Israel directly: Hassan Nasrallah, leader of Hezbollah, and Yahya Sinwar of Hamas. These two are significant because, unlike Saddam and Gaddafi, they aimed their threats directly at Israel, attempting to position themselves as the vanguard of "resistance." Nasrallah, frequently hiding in bunkers and tunnels, took shelter deep underground as his supposed “army” faced off against a far superior opponent. 

Both Nasrallah and Sinwar were inspired by the tunnels in the Vietnam War, but they forgot that technology has changed! Sinwar, the more recent casualty, tried to portray himself as a fearless leader defending Palestinian “honour.” But like the others, when confronted by Israel’s precision and tactical strength, he, too, was nothing more than a desperate fugitive. 

His supporters across the Arab and Muslim world struggled to portray his death as heroic, especially as he was the hero who attacked Israel on 7 October. But the evidence of the humiliating circumstances of his death was overwhelming, compounded by Israel already having humiliated Hezbollah in the most extreme way and killed their leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an underground bunker on a Friday.

Nasrallah and Sinwar’s followers viewed them as champions of jihad, defenders against the “Zionist enemy.” Yet, both failed spectacularly. Nasrallah’s followers must now reckon with the fact that, after all his arrogance, their leader’s main accomplishment has been to remain hidden. Sinwar’s followers, in turn, witnessed his swift end, a testament to Israel’s reach and determination. His supporters are left to grapple with the uncomfortable truth: their leader’s life was as fleeting and ineffective as his so-called resistance.

The significance of these figures’ demises is profound for the Arab world. Individually, each represents a failed promise—a leader who once inspired hope but ultimately only delivered humiliation. Collectively, they symbolize the limitations of the so-called “resistance” and the myth of Arab leadership as a counterforce to Israel. 

Saddam and Gaddafi were heads of state with armies, palaces, and international influence, yet even they fell pathetically. Nasrallah and Sinwar, meanwhile, led armed factions with extensive state backing, almost blending the lines between state armies and ummah armies. Yet, both proved inadequate when it mattered most, unable to even stand on the same ground as their foes.

Sinwar’s death, in particular, drives home a final lesson: for all their posturing, the enemies of Israel are masters only at hiding and running until their inevitable capture or elimination. Yahya Sinwar’s demise is not just a military defeat; it is a moment that strips away any illusion of strength or dignity among these so-called leaders. He joins the “hall of shame” alongside Saddam, Gaddafi, and Nasrallah, all of whom ultimately proved that challenging Israel leads to defeat, humiliation, and, eventually, a forgotten grave.

So, to the remaining “resistance fighters,” take note: history has shown there is only one outcome for those who attempt to challenge Israel.

Jalal Tagreeb is a freelance researcher and translator from the Levant, his major is Islamic Studies and History