The video depicts a desperate, abandoned man trying to attack a sophisticated military drone with a wooden stick. Or perhaps it shows a defiant hero who is staring the enemy in the eye while fighting till the bitter end.

Mr. Sinwar, one of the main architects of the Oct. 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel, spent decades with the militant group, working his way to the top of its leadership.

To Israelis, Sinwar was a nightmarish figure. Among Palestinians, he was respected for standing up to Israel and remaining in impoverished Gaza.