The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released a video showing the last moments of Yahya Sinwar, the chief of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, who was killed on Wednesday. The 61-year-old was killed in a shootout in the Tal El Sultan area of southern Gaza by soldiers from the Bislach Brigade.
In a drone video released by the IDF, Sinwar was seen seated on a chair inside a dilapidated building while covered in dust. The Hamas chief, who is said to have been injured in his hand, was sitting on a chair, and his face was covered with a scarf when the drone located him.
In the video, Sinwar, who spotted the drone, is seen trying to throw a stick at it in an effort to knock it down, before he was hit.
According to the IDF, Sinwar had taken refuge in the building after fleeing from a gunbattle that had broken out nearby. What makes the assassination of Sinwar on Wednesday different from other IDF strikes, including those on Hamas and Hezbollah leadership, is that it wasn't a planned operation.
The IDF said that infantry soldiers from the Bislach Brigade, a unit that normally trains future commanders, were searching an area in Tal El Sultan where they believed senior members of Hamas were located and saw three suspected militants moving between buildings.
In the ensuing fire, Sinwar, who was injured, escaped into a ruined building nearby.
Also read:?Who is Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas Chief killed by Israel Defense Forces?
According to Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, Sinwar was only identified as a fighter at that point, and his identity was revealed only after his death.
On Thursday, after examining dental records, fingerprints, and conducting DNA testing, Israel confirmed that the person shot dead was, in fact, Sinwar, one of its most wanted terrorists.
Sinwar who became the chief of Hamas in July 2024 is believed to be the mastermind of the October 7 terror attack in Israel.
For more news and current affairs?from around the world, please visit?Indiatimes News.