Al Jazeera network has aired unseen footage of Yahya Sinwar – under whose leadership Hamas had carried out its 2023 attack – three months after he was killed during an Israeli operation in Gaza. The footage shows Sinwar on Gaza battlefields, directing military operations in the Rafah area. The Palestinian leader is seen wearing a military vest, a stick in his hand, and covered by a blanket. Outside, it’s all ruins, a visible depiction of what war entails.
⚡️ Al Jazeera releases exclusive footage of Yehya Sinwar on the battlefield pic.twitter.com/dnP32OJDWv
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) January 24, 2025
A graffiti of the Hebrew word “north” is seen on the wall of a building where Sinwar stayed briefly – which indicated that Israeli forces had raided the house before he arrived there, local media reported.
In another scene, Sinwar is seen in a polo shirt with another man, and a map spread out before them.
The network also reportedly ran a visual of the order that Sinwar, the then chief of Hamas, had signed to begin the October 7 assault.
Who Was Yahya Sinwar?
Sinwar, who had risen through the ranks of Hamas, was killed on October 18 last year during an Israeli raid, hours after he was spotted moving his belongings in a Gaza tunnel.
Israel accuses him of being the mastermind of the October 7 attacks, the deadliest in their history that sparked the Middle East conflict and brought a sharp divide between the West and other pro-Palestine countries.
Footage released by Israel on October 18 showed a fragile Sinwar during his final moments. In his last-ditch attempt to fight back, he was seen throwing an object at the drone filming him. Israel later dropped leaflets with Sinwar’s image and a message that “Hamas will no longer rule Gaza”.
Watch: Drone Footage Of Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar’s Last Moments Released By Israel
Middle East has been conflict-ridden since October 7, 2023 when Hamas operatives and their allies went on a rampage in Israeli towns across the Gaza border, killing at least 1,200 people and kidnapping another 250 civilians and soldiers. In response, Israel started pounding Gaza with aerial strikes alongside ground operations. Hamas claims Israeli operations have led to over 47,000 deaths in the Gaza Strip.
Sinwar’s latest footage emerges at a time when Israel and Hamas have shunned violence for a brief period to swap prisoners and hostages as part of a ceasefire deal that aims to bring peace in the Middle East and end the year-long conflict.