The Israeli army has released new footage of the now-killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, which was apparently recorded before the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The video, dated October 6, shows Sinwar walking in an underground tunnel with his wife and children, carrying bags of supplies to the bunker that the IDF later discovered.
Sinwar was the mastermind of the attack that killed over 1,200 Israeli citizens and led to a full-blown war between Israel and Hamas.
The IDF Spokesperson, Nadav Shoshani, who shared the footage, wrote, “Sinwar hours before the October 7 massacre: taking down his TV into his tunnel, hiding underneath his civilians, and preparing to watch his terrorists murder, kindap and rape”.
In the video, Sinwar’s wife was seen holding a Birkin bag worth $32,000 (Around 27 lakh), according to another IDF Spokesperson Avichay Adraee.
“While Gaza residents have no money for food, we see many examples of Yahya Sinwar and his wife’s special love for money,” IDF Spokesperson in Arabic, Adraee tweeted, along with a screenshot showing his wife holding what appeared to be the Birkin bag.
“Did Sinwar’s wife enter the tunnel with him on October 6 carrying a Birkin bag estimated to cost about $32,000?!” Adraee wrote.
Sinwar, 61, who had been leading Hamas after Ismail Haniyeh in July, was one of Israel’s primary targets. He was killed in an encounter with Israeli soldiers in Rafah on October 17.
The IDF released footage of Sinwar last week, showing his last moments. This drone video captured him slumped in a chair, covered in dust, with a bleeding right hand. As the drone hovered nearby, an injured Sinwar was seen throwing a stick at it in an apparent act of desperation or defiance.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military on Saturday dropped leaflets in southern Gaza showing Sinwar dead, blood running down his forehead. “Sinwar destroyed your lives,” it said. “Whoever lays down his weapons and returns the kidnapped people to us, we will allow him to leave and live in peace”.
Netanyahu has declared that Israel’s military operations will continue until the hostages are freed and that forces will remain in Gaza to prevent a weakened Hamas from re-establishing itself. While Hamas has stated that it will not release hostages unless there is a ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli troops.
