Palestine This Week: He fell in battle, Yahya Sinwar

Palestine This Week delves into the assassination of Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, exploring the contradictory reports surrounding his death and its potential impact on Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.

The discussion shifts to the alarming situation in northern Gaza, where Israel is implementing what critics describe as a blueprint for an eradication plan. The show also addresses the widening rifts among Israel’s European allies, with France taking a stance against Israeli arms companies and the UK imposing sanctions on organisations supporting illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, Germany’s position remains contentious, with its foreign minister defending Israel’s targeting of civilians in northern Gaza.

The episode covers the broader regional implications of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, including Saudi Arabia’s media regulator opening an investigation into the Arab world’s largest media agency, MBC, for describing Sinwar as the “new face of terrorism.”  The incident serves as a springboard to explore the limits of state control over public opinion, even in autocratic regimes, in the face of overwhelming Arab solidarity with Palestinians.The discussion is underpinned by recent polls revealing a staggering 94 per cent of Arabs view the US position on Palestine negatively and 92 per cent stand in solidarity with Gazans, raising questions about the potential for popular sentiment to influence state policies across the region including autocracies in the region.

Lastly, the show explores the escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, analysing Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims of an assassination attempt against the Israeli prime minister and the leaked US documents assessing Israel’s plans to attack Tehran and concludes with a discussion on recent developments at the International Criminal Court, including allegations against the chief prosecutor and Israel’s reported tactics of intimidation against ICC officials investigating potential war crimes.