How Yahya Sinwar turned Israel’s war into Hamas’s political victory

Haaretz columnist Haim Levinson wrote: “After more than two years of war in Gaza, the end appears near. Despite the Netanyahu government’s propaganda, Israel has failed to reshape the Middle East. No state has collapsed, no new power has emerged, and no ideology has vanished — the old chaos remains.”

Levinson added: “Until the very last day of the war, Hamas preserved its organizational structure, political leadership, and command system. There was no split, no replacement movement, no surrender talks, and no secret deal. In contrast, the Israeli-backed militias in Gaza are fragile and will disappear once the army withdraws. Hamas knows how to remain the main Palestinian force even after the war.”

He highlighted two major achievements for Hamas: Bringing Palestine back to the world’s center stage. Netanyahu dreamed of burying the issue while normalizing ties with Arab states, but Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas political chief, disrupted that plan. “Today,” Levinson wrote, “Palestine has returned to the global agenda, with millions showing renewed support. Israel now faces political pressure in Europe while Netanyahu insists that a Palestinian state would be a ‘reward for terrorism.’”

The second issue is the release of Palestinian prisoners. “In the Palestinian consciousness,” he wrote, “their prisoners mirror Israeli captives — their freedom is a core national cause. The Palestinian Authority failed here, but Hamas succeeded, and now Israel’s prisons are on the verge of being emptied of the most prominent detainees.”

Levinson concluded: “Military power brings only fleeting joy. True victory lies in translating battlefield outcomes into political achievements — something Israel has again failed to do amid internal divisions and paralyzed leadership.”

Another Israeli commentator, Nadav Haetzni, echoed this sentiment: “Beyond the brief joy of returning Israeli captives, there is no reason to celebrate. Hamas has won, Israel has lost, and the future looks darker than ever. Israel is on the brink of a full withdrawal from Gaza without achieving any of its declared goals — except for the release of captives.”

Meanwhile, Yedioth Ahronoth quoted a senior officer in the Israeli army’s southern command confirming that by midday yesterday, Hamas had regained control over most areas of the Gaza Strip — including cities and villages — following Israel’s withdrawal from several key positions.