Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in an Israeli operation in southern Gaza last week, was seen walking inside a tunnel with his wife and children, hours before the deadly attack on Israel on October 7 last year. A CCTV footage showed the now-deceased Hamas leader Khan carrying pillows, mattresses, televisions and bags inside the tunnel beneath his family home in Yunis.
Meanwhile, his wife was seen carrying an Hermes bag, which Israel claims is worth $32,000.
“Yahya Sinwar’s wife was caught hiding in the tunnels the night before the October 7 attack,” Israel said, claiming she was carrying a Hermes Birkin bag worth $32,000 (Rs 26.88 lakh).
In this photo, Sinwar’s wife was caught hiding in the tunnels the night before October 7 while holding – get this – a $32,000 Hermes Birkin bag!
While Gazans faced hardships under Hamas, Sinwar and his family were shamelessly living in luxury, while sending others to die. pic.twitter.com/Q9fTqhqxo8
– Israel израл (@Israel) 20 October 2024
Israel said, “While Gazans faced hardships under Hamas, Sinwar and his family were shamelessly living in luxury, while sending others to die.”
Israel shared a screengrab of the video, which shows Sinwar’s wife holding a bag. In the blurry photo, the bag’s design appears to be ‘identical’ to the Hermes Birkin 40 Black Togo Gold Hardware Edition. The Palestinian militant group has not yet protested Israel’s claim.
The footage was released after Sinwar was killed in an armour-infantry attack in the southern Gaza city of Rafah. The Israel Defense Forces, detailing the damage assessment, said Israel’s 828th Brigade conducted “intelligence-based targeted raids and operations”, where they found assault rifles and snipers in the hideout and Sinwar’s body.
?Declassified footage:
Sinwar, hours before the October 7 massacre: Taking your TV to your tunnel, hiding under your civilians, and preparing to watch your terrorists murder, kidnap, and rape. pic.twitter.com/wTAF9xAPLU
– LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) 19 October 2024
Israeli military spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari showed photos of an underground complex with toilets, showers and a kitchen. Food, cash and documents were also found there.
Meanwhile, Hamas described Hagar’s comments as “blatant lies”, saying that Sinwar died heroically in battle.
Drone footage earlier this week showed Sinwar being seriously injured by an object being thrown at the drone in his final moments. The autopsy found that Sinwar was murdered by a shot to the head, and also found that one of his fingers was cut off.
During a year of the Israel–Hamas conflict, Israel Defense Forces were often closed in on Sinwar, but the latter managed to escape. Israel identified Sinwar’s last hideout when the army “found his DNA sample on the tissue from which he had his nose blown,” Hagari said.
Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, resulting in the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including children, in a year-long Israeli operation in Gaza.