Killing Sinwar : Bodies fall, but ideas endure " and War will go on"

And Hamas announced the news eventually on Friday. 

The head of its political bureau aka its leader, Yahia Sinwar was killed in a combat in Gaza's Tal Sultan while fighting the Israeli army.

Hamas announced that he is its latest leading figure to be a martyr. It added that his killing wouldn’t impact it, and it insisted on its demand: The exchange of all hostages and the withdrawal of the Israeli army from Gaza.

Hamas is correct. It is a blow, but it won’t be the end for the movement that technically had all its senior and leading members including the founder themselves assassinated.

Now let’s take two steps back.

The Israeli army killed Yahia Sinwar, the current leader of Hamas in Rafah. Even Israel did not believe the news at first. His DNA and dental records had to be tested. Yahia Sinwar was not hiding underground in the tunnels with the Israel hostages, nor he was hiding among the civilians.

He fought till the end and was killed along with two of his companions "including one whom the Israeli army claimed to kill from several months ago" in combat on Wednesday. In fact, according to the Israeli media, he and his companions were the ones who opened their fire.

The Israeli army knew about his identity only on Thursday.

On the same night, the Israeli army released a video recording of the last moments of Sinwar while fighting till the end.

He lost part of his arm throwing a stick to the drone hovering over his head in an epic ending that suits a military film. The video went viral in the Arab world and Egypt in no time

Israel successfully killed Yahia Sinwar physically but in the process, it created the legend of Yahia Sinwar, the fighter who fought till the last moment, last breath. 

#6OctWar: The Memorial of Unknown Soldier in Cairo and the Memorial of Unknown Soldier in Gaza

It is always seen in Cairo, becoming one of its true modern landmarks in Nasr City.

It commemorates the fallen heroes of Egyptian soldiers and officers in the October 1973/Yom Kippur War.

The Memorial of the Unknown Soldier in Nasr City, Cairo 
Photographed by iPhone 

It is our fourth Pyramid, the Unknown Soldier Memorial in Nasr City.

It witnessed the assassination of President Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat on the 6 October 1981, eight years after the war and six years after the inauguration of the Memorial in 1975.

Although he wished to be buried at Wadi Al-Raha near Mount Sinai (Jebel Musa), Sadat was buried at Cairo’s Unknown Soldier Memorial, which he ordered to be built in 1974.

El-Sadat's funeral in October 1981 at the Uknonwn Solider Memorial

Egyptian artist and professor Sami Rafi designed the Memorial of the Unknown Soldier as a modern pyramid with the first names of Egyptian men engraved on its sides.

Speaking about the memorial is the only thing I think about writing on the anniversary of the 6 October 1973 War in Egypt as usual not in a celebratory way.

I uploaded a YouTube Short dedicated to the Egyptian soldiers but could not share it publicly or widely with that ongoing genocide happening in Gaz and extending to Lebanon.

The Memorial of Unknown Soldier in Cairo made me think about the Memorial of Unknown Soldier in Gaza.

Bibi, the Maps man: It is a new Middle East indeed

“I was working on this post before Israel launched Operation 'New Order,' which killed over 500 people in 48 hours, including Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. However, let’s say that this post serves as an important introduction to what is happening or will happen in the Middle East.”

A year ago, Benjamin Netanyahu stood at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) with a small map of the "New Middle East."

It was both an intriguing and alarming map, as it depicted no Palestinian state whatsoever.

The map clearly illustrated what he and his government had sought from day one: the annexation of Gaza and the West Bank, while maintaining relations with Arab countries—especially the recent signatories of the Abraham Accords (Sudan, UAE, and Bahrain)—and, most significantly, the holy grail for any Israeli government: Saudi Arabia.

Bibi at the 78th session of the UNGA in 2023

Ironically, Netanyahu's map of the "New Middle East" excluded Morocco, perhaps because he considered it too distant as a North African country.

At the time, Egypt and Jordan regularly issued statements in response to Israeli provocations in the West Bank, warning that they could lead to escalations.

Meanwhile, the U.S., or rather the Biden administration, seemed solely focused on racing against time to finalize a Saudi-Israeli normalization deal before Donald Trump could return and derail it.

Exactly one month later, everything changed, and it seems that everyone forgot about Netanyahu’s map—except Netanyahu and his government.

Since October 8, 2023, Netanyahu has shown little concern for rescuing Israeli hostages. Instead of focusing on their safety, he appears more concerned with saving himself and his government from accountability amid a political crisis, while pursuing his agenda of making that map a reality.

Happy Egyptian New Year 6266, Happy Coptic New Year 1741

Happy Egyptian New Year 6266!

Today, 11 September, marks "1 Tut", the first day of the Ancient Egyptian Year 6266, according to the ancient Egyptian calendar. 

On this occasion, I am sharing this small golden amulet — the Djed pillar amulet, found in King Tutankhamun's tomb (KV62) in the Valley of the Kings in 1922, among the wrappings around his mummy. 

King Tut's Djed pillar amulet 

Associated with the ancient Egyptian deities Ptah, the god of creation, and Osiris, the god of agriculture and resurrection, the Djed pillar represents stability and eternity in Egyptian mythology.

May all your days in the year 6266 be stable forever. May this year bring peace and justice to the people of Gaza, or Gazzatu, as it was called in ancient Egypt inshallah.

#Egypt at #Paris #Paralympics2024: Nadia Fekry ends the Paralympics with a bronze medal and a celebration to remember.

As is often the case, the Paris 2024 Paralympics concluded quietly on Sunday, but our Egyptian Paralympic champions made sure to keep us proud and happy until the very end.

Egyptian para powerlifting champion Nadia Fekry secured a bronze medal in the women’s 86kg category, marking a memorable finale for Team Egypt.

Fekry claimed her medal on her second attempt, successfully lifting 145 kilograms, although she was unable to lift 154 kilograms in her final attempt.

Her celebration after winning the bronze medal was one for the books—an iconic moment that stood out in this year’s games.

زغروطة التتويج

لحظة تتويج البطلة البارالمبية نادية فكري بالميدالية البرونزية في رفع الأثقال البارالمبي️‍♀️#Paris2024 | #Paralympics2024 | #الألعاب_البارالمبية pic.twitter.com/TYjWpqhH7g

— الرياضة مش كورة وبس (@EgyptAllSports) September 8, 2024

It’s hard to recall any other Arab athlete celebrating so passionately in this edition of the Summer Games, be it the Olympics or the Paralympics.

This is the fourth Paralympic medal in Fekry’s career, which began in 1995. She won her first bronze in the 67.5kg weightlifting category at the Sydney 2000 Paralympics.

Egypt at #Paris #Paralympics2024: 2 silvers and 2 bronze in 48 hours thanks to Mohamed Sobhy, Fatma Elyan, Safaa Hassan and sitting volleyball team

Once again, Egypt's Paralympic champions continue to bring home medals from the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. In just 48 hours, Egypt clinched three medals in para powerlifting, including two in women's events ("two silvers and one bronze") and one bronze in sitting volleyball.

On Friday, Egypt’s sitting volleyball team secured the bronze medal in Paris 2024 after defeating Germany 3-2.

This marks Egypt's third bronze medal for its sitting volleyball team, following its successes at the Athens 2004 and Rio de Janeiro 2016 Paralympic Games.

Egypt at #Paris #Paralympics2024: 2 Golds on one day thanks to Mohamed El-Minyawi and Rehab Radwan

At last, Egypt has secured medals at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, achieving a remarkable feat by winning two gold medals in weightlifting on the same day.

Our Paralympians Mohamed El-Minyawi and Rehab Radwan

Egyptian weightlifting champion Mohamed El-Minyawi claimed gold in the men’s 59kg weightlifting category. 

El-Minyawi after knowing that he did it 

This is the 25-year-old's first-ever Paralympic appearance.

El-Minyawi with Egypt's flag

El-Minyawi lifted 194kg on his first attempt, 198kg on his second, and 201 kg on his final lift to seal his victory.