Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed moments after making a “critical mistake,” according to Israel.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described the 61-year-old’s final minutes in a briefing on Thursday, highlighting the strategic mistake the Oct. 7 mastermind made by leaving Gaza’s tunnel network where he had been hiding.
The IDF forced him to “make this mistake” and “move like a refugee” as they gradually closed off streets and blew up tunnels around Rafah in southern Gaza, Major Doron Spielman explained.
“Actually, just yesterday he did [made a mistake]. He left the tunnel, entered an apartment building and [Hamas] opened fire on Israeli troops. A tank returned fire, and he was killed in that attacksaid May Spielman.
The IDF claimed that its troops restricted his movement to a “smaller and smaller area” as they advanced.
Maj. Spielman added that the IDF had been operating around Rafah with the goal of eliminating “the most senior terrorists.”
Footage emerged late Thursday of the moments before Sinwar was killed in a building on the outskirts of Rafah.
Hamas leader threw a stick at an Israeli drone in an apparent last act of desperation.
He had been tracked by an Israeli mini-drone as he lay dying in the ruins of the building that had been bombarded by IDF artillery.
Sinwar was filmed covered in dust as he collapsed in a chair, according to footage released by Israel.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “Sinwar fled alone into one of the buildings. Our forces used a drone to scan the area, which you can see here in the video I am presenting.
“Sinwar, who was injured in his hand by gunfire, can be seen here with his face covered, in his last moments, throwing a wooden plank at the drone.”
The IDF said it has also expanded its operations in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza. It claimed that “dozens of terrorists” were killed on Thursday night in “incidents and airstrikes”.
On Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, was expected to hold a special security meeting at Kirya’s military headquarters in Tel Aviv with government ministers and security officials.