Israeli Army Releases Video Allegedly Showing Hamas’ Sinwar in Tunnel

On Tuesday, the Israeli military made public a video purportedly showing Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, navigating through a tunnel with his family. Captured in black and white, the footage is said to present Sinwar, accompanied by a woman and three children, moving through an underground passage. This video marks the first sighting of Sinwar since the outbreak of the conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The Israeli military alleges that Sinwar orchestrated the significant attack on Israel on October 7, which ignited the ongoing conflict, now extending into its fifth month.

During a press briefing, military spokesperson Daniel Hagari revealed that the video was discovered by Israeli forces during a tunnel operation, although the precise location of the tunnel was not disclosed. Hagari described the footage, stating, “The footage shows leader of Hamas and mass murderer, Yahya Sinwar, fleeing with his children and one of his wives,” indicating Sinwar was escaping to a pre-constructed secure facility via an underground tunnel.

Hagari emphasized the ongoing efforts to apprehend Sinwar, stating, “This video of Sinwar is the result of our hunt. This hunt will not stop until we have captured him dead or alive.”

The authenticity of the video could not be independently confirmed by AFP.

The specific location of the tunnel in the footage remained unclear, but the Israeli army has recently targeted Khan Younis, the principal city in southern Gaza and Sinwar’s birthplace, with heavy bombardment.

According to Hagari, the video was recorded on October 10, three days subsequent to Hamas’s attack on Israel, which, based on Israeli figures, resulted in approximately 1,160 deaths, predominantly civilians.

In retaliation, Israel pledged to dismantle Hamas and initiated a military operation in Gaza, resulting in the death of at least 28,473 individuals, mainly women and children, as reported by the health ministry in Hamas-controlled Gaza.

Earlier in the month, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant characterized Sinwar as evading capture and no longer managing military operations in Gaza, stating, “He has now become a terrorist on the run from being the leader of Hamas” in the territory, without specifying Sinwar’s current whereabouts.

Sinwar, who has been a member of Hamas since its foundation by Sheikh Ahmad Yassin in 1987 during the first Palestinian intifada, is recognized for his reclusive nature and has not been observed since October 7.

Subsequently, Israeli military spokesman Richard Hecht branded Sinwar as the “face of evil,” labeling him a “dead man walking.” Yet, the Israeli forces stationed in Gaza have not succeeded in locating any of Hamas’s principal leaders.