Israel has released video footage where slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar could be seen shifting to a tunnel in Gaza with his wife, children and belongings ahead of the October 7 massacre that triggered the ongoing war between the group and Israel.
The video was released following the death of the Hamas leader in Rafah city.
Sharing the video, IDF International Spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani said: “Sinwar hours before the October 7 massacre: taking down his TV into his tunnel, hiding underneath his civilians, and preparing to watch his terrorists murder, kindap and rape..”
On Friday, Hamas too confirmed that its leader Yahya Sinwar, who was the architect of the group’s cross-border raids on October 7, 2023, which became the deadliest day in Israel’s history, was killed in combat action, media reports said.
Soon after confirming the death, Hamas Friday said it won’t release hostages until Israel ends its war on Gaza, withdraws from the territory and frees jailed Palestinians.
The execution of Sinwar is a major boost to the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a string of high-profile assassinations of prominent Hamas leaders in recent months.
Yahya Sinwar, the chief architect of the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war, has been at the top of Israel’s wanted list ever since. But he had managed to elude detection by possibly hiding in the warren of tunnels that Hamas has built under Gaza over the past two decades.
Previously leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, he was named as its overall leader following the assassination of former political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in August.
Last month, Israel also killed Hasan Nasrallah, leader of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement, in Beirut besides executing many of the group’s top leadership.
Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages into Gaza. In a retaliatory action, Israel has killed more than 42,000 people, turned much of Gaza into rubble, and displaced most of its population.
