Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Found Dead in Hideout Tunnel

Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Found Dead in Hideout Tunnel

In a significant development in the year-long Israel-Hamas war, Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the Oct. 7 attacks, was discovered dead in a hideout tunnel in Tel al-Sultan, Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released video footage showing Sinwar and his family fleeing into the tunnel just hours before the massacre took place.

The video, timestamped at 10:45 p.m. on Oct. 6, 2023, captures Sinwar, aged 61, along with his wife and two young sons, entering the narrow bunker hallway. Equipped with backpacks and luggage, the family appeared prepared for an extended stay. Sinwar made multiple trips to retrieve additional belongings, including water bottles, pillows, and blankets.

The hideaway, as revealed by IDF images, featured amenities such as a TV, floor and wall fans, beds, and a tile floor. The footage, discovered a few months ago by IDF and ISA forces, sheds light on Sinwar’s whereabouts leading up to the Oct. 7 attacks.

Sinwar’s demise came unexpectedly when soldiers stumbled upon his body while sifting through rubble following an airstrike. Drone footage of the attack showed Sinwar sitting on a couch in an above-ground building, his face covered with a cloth, and an apparent arm injury. In a final act of defiance, he weakly attempted to knock down a drone by tossing a piece of wood before the building was destroyed.

Upon searching Sinwar’s body, the soldiers found 40,000 shekels ($10,000) and an identification card belonging to a United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) teacher. Additionally, a cache of weapons was discovered inside the building.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Sinwar’s death would mark a turning point in the ongoing conflict. However, a senior Hamas official countered, asserting that the group would only grow stronger in the aftermath of this loss.