IDF Soldiers Use Art to Lift Spirits with Hamas Leader's Caricature

Before entering Gaza, IDF soldiers made a stop at the Urban Warfare Training Facility in Tze'elim base. There, a massive mural greeted them, depicting Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar disguised as a rat in a burrow. This cheeky depiction was their small act of defiance, at least until Sinwar is captured from the bunker he's said to be in.
The training facility, known as 'Little Gaza,' hosts numerous forces and its walls are covered in diverse illustrations, including Yasser Arafat, Ahmed Yassin, Palestinian flags, and Arabic slogans. Sinwar, seen as the architect of the Hamas attack during Simchat Torah, is highly reviled in Israel, becoming the primary target for the IDF's objectives.

"This mural was painted by four military artists," shares Rotem Zamir, a 20-year-old soldier, who posted a photo of the mural on her TikTok. "Normally, each artist paints at different bases under their command, but this time we decided to collaborate. We got a request from the base's sergeant and, given the wartime atmosphere, we aimed for something that would boost morale and amuse our soldiers."

"This facility is the largest urban warfare training site in the IDF, with all soldiers passing through it, so deciding what to paint was a significant decision," she continues. "Typically, insurgent images are painted to create the atmosphere of fighting in enemy terrain. There are plenty of illustrations of Nasrallah, Mohammed Deif, and others. We were supposed to paint insurgents, and usually, we don't choose what to paint, but this time we said no more. We were unwilling to paint these figures after everything that happened."

How did it all start? Zamir stumbled upon an initiative distributing war cards to soldiers featuring Hamas figures, with Sinwar portrayed as a rat in a tunnel. "I saw it and told my team - this is what we're painting. There was much debate as it doesn't quite fit the typical facility themes, but we knew it would do good for our soldiers. We knew it would motivate every soldier passing by. That was precisely our goal."

The mural stands seven meters tall, and it took Zamir four full days to paint. Her partners, Noam Shaked, Meir Ben Moshe, and Agam Moshe, assisted in the creation. "At first, the sergeant wasn't so keen on us painting it, but we insisted," she admits. "We woke up knowing we'd do it. We painted Sinwar as a rat in a tunnel, aiming to bring some smiles to our soldiers. Underneath, we wrote an Arabic saying: 'You can continue to hide like a mouse in a tunnel, but we will reach you.' When the sergeant came to see it after a few days, he was very impressed. Senior officers also passed by, and everyone who saw it smiled, loved it. It became a symbol of the facility. Every soldier passing by takes a photo next to this mural."

Advocate Yosef Haddad uploaded a video standing in front of the massive wall art. In the video, he addresses Sinwar in Arabic: "Oh Sinwar, this video is for you. During Simchat Torah, you celebrated, pretending to be a great man. You consider yourself a freedom fighter? You are a terrorist. Do you know what you truly are? You are a big mouse."

(From Yosef Haddad's X account)

Military and Shabak are still in pursuit of capturing Sinwar. According to recent assessments, he is hiding in a bunker with Israeli hostages being used as human shields. "This is not something typical, certainly not in the military," Zamir emphasizes. "We are subject to and respect the military system. The fact that such a mural was approved, which is entirely uncharacteristic for the IDF, thrilled the soldiers even more than the painting itself. They were happy that it was even possible to create it in the largest facility."