Yahya Sinwar will hold sway over Hamas from beyond the grave

AFTER THE Israel-Hamas war in Gaza in 2021 Yahya Sinwar appeared sitting on a sofa in the open air, surrounded by rubble and smiling. It became a defining image of resistance for many Hamas supporters. This time the story has ended differently. In a video released by the Israeli military, a shattered figure on an armchair inside a building is seen feebly launching a stick at a hovering drone. Hamas now accepts that Mr Sinwar died soon after; on October 18th it said that his death would only increase the strength and resilience of the movement. In fact Mr Sinwar’s death leaves it shattered and divided, with rival factions now likely to vie for control of its remaining resources and its ideological objectives. To understand this contest you have to grasp how he concentrated power in his hands, to catastrophic effect.