Opinion | The author's opinion does not necessarily reflect Sarah Palin's view.
According to messages reviewed by the WSJ, Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar sought to prolong the Gaza war by refusing temporary ceasefires in order to leverage high Palestinian civilian death tolls for international pressure on Israel.
Sinwar believed such “necessary sacrifices” fostered criticism of Israel and saw Hamas having the advantage as long as fighting continued.
“We have the Israelis right where we want them,” Sinwar wrote.
“We make the headlines only with blood,” Sinwar said. “No blood, no news.”
As an architect of Hamas’ attacks on Israel in October, Sinwar scolded leaders considering peace talks while militants still stood and said Hamas could fight for months.
“As long as fighters are still standing and we have not lost the war, such contacts should be immediately terminated,” Sinwar said. “We have the capabilities to continue fighting for months.”
Despite a UN resolution and calls for peace, as of early May Sinwar still urged continuing hostilities, claiming prior civilian deaths would “infuse life” and vigor in pursuit of Hamas goals, showing how he strategized around maximizing Palestinian casualties for political gain rather than protecting lives.
“We have to move forward on the same path we started,” Sinwar wrote.
