As Israel confirms that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar has been killed in an operation by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, footage purported to be that of the slain leader has emerged.
The video released by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) shows Sinwar throwing a stick at an IDF drone that targeted him. He was seen sitting on a sofa with his face covered. The disguise leaves it difficult to identify the person. The building seems to be in ruins, possibly the aftermath of an Israeli air raid.
Israel made the mistake of publishing footage of Yahya Sinwar's last moments.
— Dan Cohen (@dancohen3000) October 17, 2024
Wearing a kufiyyeh and severely injured, he threw a stick at the drone filming him – a final act of defiance against the Zionist occupation.
In his death, he became a legend. pic.twitter.com/bHEpPSY9TD
Presenting the footage, IDF Spokesperson R.-Adm. Daniel Hagari said Sinwar was injured in his hand by gunfire. "He can be seen here with his face covered, in his final moments, throwing a wooden plank at the drone. We identified him as a terrorist inside a building, fired at the building, and then went in to search. We found him with a vest, a pistol, and 40,000 shekels. He was on the run, fleeing, and our forces eliminated him," Hagari told reporters.
He added that Sinwar tried to escape justice but failed as Israel took him out. " It was Yahya Sinwar who decided to wage war with Israel while hiding behind civilians in Gaza," Hagari added.
Also read: Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar killed, says Israel military
Sinwar's DNA inside a tunnel
As many were speculating about the fate of Sinwar over the last few days, Israel happened to stumble across the DNA of Sinwar inside a tunnel in Rafah. Interestingly, this tunnel was in the same complex as the tunnel where the bodies of six Israeli hostages were found in August.
A search carried out by IDF and Shin Bet forces culminated in a room, said to have been used by Sinwar. They took DNA samples from the underground room and found that some of it belonged to Sinwar, but were not able to pin down when he was there.
Israeli officials believe Sinwar likely gave the order to kill the six hostages as he fled the area.
However, he couldn't stay hidden for long after Israeli soldiers located him during a routine patrol in Gaza. For someone who was mostly safe inside tunnels, Sinwar was killed above ground on Wednesday, alongside two other militants. There was no sign of hostages nearby.
Though Hamas is yet to confirm the death of Siinwar, sources within the group told Reuters that the indications they have seen suggest Sinwar was indeed killed by Israeli troops.
