Israel says Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed shortly after making a “critical mistake.”
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) described the 61-year-old's last minutes in a briefing on Thursday, highlighting the strategic mistake the October 7 mastermind made by leaving the Gaza tunnel network where he had been hiding.
The IDF forced him to “make this mistake” and “act like a fugitive” as they gradually closed the streets and blew up tunnels around Rafah in southern Gaza, Major Doron Spielman explained.
'Yesterday he even did that [made a mistake]. He left the tunnel, entered an apartment building, and [Hamas] opened fire on Israeli forces. A tank returned fire and he was killed in that attack,” Major Spielman said.
The IDF claimed its forces were restricting its movement to an “increasingly smaller area” as they advanced.
Major Spielman added that the IDF was operating around Rafah with the aim of eliminating “the highest terrorists.”
Late Thursday evening, images emerged of the moments before Sinwar was killed in a building on the outskirts of Rafah.
The Hamas leader threw a stick at an Israeli drone in an apparent last act of desperation.
He was followed 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 slumped in a chair, according to footage released by Israel.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said: “Sinwar fled alone to one of the buildings. Our troops used a drone to scan the area, which you can see here in the images I present.
“Sinwar, who was wounded in the hand by gunfire, is seen here with his face covered as he throws a wooden plank at the drone in his final moments.”
The IDF said it has also expanded its operations in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza. It claimed that “dozens of terrorists” were killed in “incidents and airstrikes” on Thursday evening.
On Friday, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, was scheduled to hold a special security meeting at the Kirya military headquarters in Tel Aviv along with ministers and security officials.
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