Iranian and Arab commentators celebrate ceasefire as Hamas’ ‘victory’ over Israel on social media

Caricatures show Israel being 'crushed' by Hamas

The day after the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced, people in Gaza, as well as on social media, erupted in celebrations of what many are interpreting as a victory over Israel.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei wrote on 𝕏, in English and Hebrew: “It will be written in books that there was a mob who once killed thousands of children & women in Gaza! Everyone will realize it was the patience of the people & steadfastness of Palestinian Resistance & Resistance Front that forced Zionist regime to retreat.”

Khamenei closed with the hashtag “#GazaIsVictorious,” which was widely shared on 𝕏 in Arabic, Persian and English.

The regime’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) also claimed Hamas had imposed its “holy will” on Israel.

“Today, the end to the war and the imposition of a ceasefire on the Zionist regime are a clear victory and a big triumph for Palestine and a greater defeat for the demoniacal Zionist regime,” the statement added.

Across the Arab media space, the “victory” was celebrated through various caricatures, which are widely popular across the Middle East.

كاريكاتير | توقيع اتفاق #وقفاطلاق_النار #غزةتنتصر pic.twitter.com/32KIS2DRCO
— الاستقلال - المغرب العربي (@estiklal_Maghrb) January 16, 2025

Media outlets affiliated with Hamas published a cartoon showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu being crushed by the boot of a Palestinian “resistance fighter” while signing the ceasefire agreement. Above him is written, “they are humiliated.”

Another cartoon shows a Palestinian terrorist sawing off the barrel of an Israeli tank as soon as it crosses the Gazan border.

كاريكاتير خيري - التوصل إلى اتفاق لوقف إطلاق النار في #غزة #الوسط pic.twitter.com/1PMAkvIqAk
— بوابة الوسط (@alwasatnewsly) January 16, 2025

Gazan caricaturist Alaa al-Laqta published a cartoon showing the Gaza Strip as a red chili, implying that it had proven too hot for Israel to swallow.

كاريكاتير لـ: د.علاء اللقطة pic.twitter.com/yz6ConFREP
— دكتور/ شعفل علي عمير (ابو إبراهيم) (@omair_shafal) January 16, 2025

However, amid the celebrations, there were many who pointed out that Hamas had effectively destroyed the Gaza Strip in its quest to destroy Israel, and questioned whether this was indeed a victory for Hamas or the Gazans.

فرح أهل #غزة على وقف الدمار الذي كان طوفانا على غزة وليس على الصهاينة كما زعمت #حماس pic.twitter.com/0p4HtkKSHh
— مشعل النامي (@MeshalAlnami) January 15, 2025

Kuwaiti media influencer Meshal Al-Nami shared a picture of the destruction, commenting that, “The people of Gaza were happy about stopping the destruction that was a flood for Gaza, not the Zionists, as Hamas claimed.”

The Arabic-language account “Caricature today” published a cartoon on 𝕏 that showed Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya as a snake, coiling its body around the ruins of Gaza while saying: “We won a crushing victory in Gaza.”

" خليل الحية " 🐍#غزةتنتصر #غزة pic.twitter.com/C3JZAWRxnT
— كاريكاتير اليوم (@caricatir) January 16, 2025

Finally, Lebanese activist Raymond Hakim shared another cartoon making fun of Hayya’s “victory speech,” showing him on a platform at the end of stairs lined with bodies, amid a field of ruins and more corpses.