Speaking in the city of Khan Younis, which has been largely left in ruins by a year of bombardment and fighting, Dr Ramadan Faris said the outcome of the war did not depend on any single person’s fate.
“It’s a war of extermination against the Palestinian people, as we all know and understand,” he said.
Also in Khan Younis was Lina Anuni, who fled Gaza City with her three children a year ago.
“I opposed [Sinwar] while he was alive and hold him equally responsible, alongside the Israeli occupation, for my suffering and that of 2.3 million Palestinians,” she told the BBC.
“Yet, I felt a sense of sadness at his passing,” she added.