Yet another liberal media outlet made the headline of its obituary of an eliminated terrorist sound a bit odd, as The New York Times website's headline read: "Obituary: Hamas Leader Was Known for His Cunning and Brutality."
Israel on Thursday announced the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the alleged terrorist mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, during which an estimated 1,200 Israelis were slaughtered under Sinwar's reign of terror, and the Times obituary hailed Sinwar's "cunning."
The headline brought back 2019 memories of the fallout of another iconic liberal media outlet calling slain ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi an "austere religious scholar," a headline The Washington Post ultimately changed.
The Times changed its headline Thursday night, too — albeit slightly — hours after this story was originally published. The Times changed its nytimes.com headline to put "Brutality" first: "Obituary: Hamas Leader Was Known for His Brutality and Cunning."
Cunning has both positive and negative connotations in today's vernacular, it should be noted.
Sinwar was known by the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Younis," the man who orchestrated the deadliest attack on Israel, The New York Times reported. Sinwar, in his early 60s, was a key figure in shaping Hamas' military capabilities and strategic operations, particularly against Israel. His death comes after a lengthy pursuit by Israeli forces, who sought to eliminate him following the group's surprise assault on southern Israel and resulted in the capture of 250 hostages.
Known for his ruthless leadership, he commanded Hamas' military wing before becoming its top political figure in Gaza in 2017. Despite the Israeli-Egyptian blockade that isolated Gaza, he helped Hamas enhance its ability to strike Israel while fostering alliances with groups like Iran to maintain a steady supply of arms and funding.
Newsmax writer Jim Thomas contributed to this report.