Israeli military released footage showing the moments before Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed, after a group of IDF soldiers deployed a drone to check a building they had hit in Rafah on Thursday.
An injured Sinwar, who had his face covered and appeared to be missing his right hand, could be seen sitting alone on a chair in the destroyed building. The IDF soldiers were reportedly initially unaware of his identity.
As the drone hovers just a few feet from him, Sinwar finally notices it and struggles using his left hand to fling an object at the drone. The soldiers then reportedly called in a second airstrike on the building, killing the Hamas leader and two other militants who were traveling with him.
IDF spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari told reporters that Sinwar had likely been shot in his hand and taken refuge in the building when it was hit by the Israeli troops. He said the Hamas leader was likely on the move trying to escape north amid the Israeli military’s advance in Rafah, to which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians had fled earlier this year.
Israeli military officials later confirmned Sinwar's identity, after recovering his body and comparing the DNA samples with the ones retreived from him during his time as a prisoner.
Israeli and US officials hailed the death of Sinwar who Israel claim, had ordered the Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on the Jewish state.
“To the people of Gaza, I have a simple message,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement. “This war can end tomorrow. It can end if Hamas lays down its arms and returns our hostages. Israel will guarantee the safety of all those who return our hostages.”
Critics have accused Netanyahu and Israeli military of commiting genocide on the Palestinian people in the year-long war which has killed tens of thousands of children and women.
