The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has aired footage allegedly showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar walking through a Gaza tunnel with family members. In the one-minute clip, Sinwar is seen accompanied by what appears to be his wife and children, walking through the tunnel underneath Khan Younis. Despite facing away from the camera, the IDF claims to have identified Sinwar by the size of his ears and using artificial intelligence. The IDF spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, emphasized that the footage reveals Hamas leaders’ focus on self-preservation and material wealth.
The one-minute-long clip, filmed on October 10, features Sinwar in a tunnel underneath the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, walking behind what appears to be his wife along with three of his children, who are led by Sinwar’s brother Ibrahim, according to the IDF.
Sinwar appears healthy, in one piece, carrying a bag and wearing Adidas flipflops. One of his daughters is seen holding a doll.
The video was taken from Hamas surveillance footage from the tunnels that was recently retrieved by IDF troops operating in the area.
Hagari stated, “Every resident of Gaza [can now] see how Hamas leaders live underground and how they don’t think about anything other than themselves, their families, and their money.” He further declared the IDF’s determination to apprehend Sinwar, stating, “The hunt for Sinwar will not stop until we catch him, dead or alive.”
The IDF also reported the detention of close relatives of senior Hamas military commanders, including Sinwar, and revealed details about the tunnel network’s raid, which allegedly contained living quarters for senior Hamas officials. The IDF claims to have discovered millions of shekels and dollars in cash hidden in safes within the compound where Hamas officials resided during the conflict.
The airing of the footage coincides with ongoing negotiations in Cairo involving Israeli, US, Qatari, and Egyptian officials aimed at reaching an extended truce and hostage deal. However, reports suggest that Sinwar has been “out of contact” for at least 11 days, potentially impacting the progress of negotiations. Despite this, neither side has confirmed the reports regarding Sinwar’s status.
This development follows previous revelations by the IDF, including footage of Muhammed Sinwar, Yahya’s brother and a senior Hamas commander, driving through a major tunnel network near the Erez border crossing. The IDF claims Muhammed Sinwar led the construction of this network, described as the largest-ever Hamas attack tunnel discovered by the military.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
