Israel Has Released Drone Footage Of Hamas’ Leader Yahya Sinwar’s Last Moments Before He Was Killed
The video showed Sinwar seated in an armchair, wearing a keffiyeh and with a severe injury to his right arm before he threw a stick at the drone in what appeared to be an attempt to knock it out.
Israeli forces have released drone footage of what they say is Hamas’ leader Yahya Sinwar’s final moments before they killed him on Oct. 16 in Rafah, Gaza.
The video showed Sinwar seated in an armchair within a heavily damaged building in southern Gaza, wearing a keffiyeh and with a severe injury to his right arm.
After a few seconds, he threw a stick at the drone in what appeared to be an attempt to knock it out.
He was located in a building in the Tel al-Sultan in Rafah, fighting Israeli soldiers in an Israeli military raid that involved heavy fire, including tank shells and missiles, which contributed to the destruction of the building where Sinwar was.
The autopsy report showed Sinwar was killed by a gunshot to the head, according to the director of Israel’s National Forensic Institute.
In addition to the fatal gunshot wound, Sinwar sustained multiple injuries from shrapnel, likely from a missile or tank shell, which severely damaged his arm.
He tried to stop the bleeding using an electrical cord as a makeshift tourniquet, but it was ineffective due to the severity of his wounds.
Israeli soldiers reportedly didn’t realize they had encountered Sinwar at first as they were carrying out a “routine” operation in the area rather than a “targeted” one.
Israeli officials said Israeli soldiers saw three suspected militants moving between buildings and opened fire, leading to a gunfight during which Sinwar escaped into the ruined building.
Israeli officials added that at the time the footage was taken, Sinwar was only identified as a Hamas fighter, according to the Guardian.
Israel later identified Sinwar using DNA, his dental records and fingerprints from when he was previously imprisoned in Israel.
Shortly after the footage was released, Khalil Hayya, a senior Hamas official, confirmed Sinwar’s killing in a televised statement on Friday, Oct. 18.
He described Sinwar as "unyielding, courageous, and fearless," emphasizing that Sinwar "gave his life for our (Palestinians) liberation efforts" and maintained his dignity until the end.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement after Sinwar’s death that the war in Gaza is not over.
“Today, evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete,” Netanyahu said.
Sinwar was said to have been the main mastermind behind Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
He became Hamas’ leader and chairman of its political bureau after Ismael Haniyeh, Hamas’ former political chief, was assassinated in an explosion at his guest house during a visit to Tehran, Iran.
The media doesn’t want you to see this Yahya Sinwar interview.
— ADAM (@AdameMedia) October 17, 2024
It explains a lot.
pic.twitter.com/ks31lPLLxU
“Does the world expect us to be well-behaved victims while we are getting killed? For us to be slaughtered without making a noise?” Sinwar said in an interview that has been widely shared on social media after his death.
The drone footage was described by many people on the internet as evidence that Sinwar was fighting till the last minute on the front line and not hiding in tunnels surrounded by hostages or using Palestinians as human shields like Israel had claimed.
If the DNA test confirms that Yahya Sinwar is dead, it also confirms that he was not hiding under tunnels and was killed in active combat.
— Dilly Hussain (@DillyHussain88) October 17, 2024
This was not a targeted assassination, and proves that it was always about Israel flattening Gaza and killing maximum number of civilians. pic.twitter.com/uaTOkGj7t4
Others said that Israel made a“big mistake” releasing the drone footage as the reaction it garnered backfired.
Israel’s biggest mistake was releasing the video of Martyr Yahya Sinwar’s final moments.
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) October 18, 2024
He is seen wounded, with one hand almost completely severed, fighting until the end with a stick.
Out of arrogance, they unintentionally created an eternal legend. pic.twitter.com/kmlgHjZV96
From the army that brought you hours of footage of their soldiers rifling through women’s underwear drawers comes a bold new PR strategy; footage of their greatest enemy dying like a mythical hero https://t.co/WGLbduI8Mb
— Post-Badman (@The_Swole_Nerd) October 17, 2024
It’s illuminating that Israel can send drones up close like this to stare Hamas members in the face and yet they choose to drop 2000 pound bombs on crowded civilian areas. https://t.co/z2xZmlnpI3
— Caner Dagli 📿 (@CKDagli) October 17, 2024
I love how stupid Israel is sometimes. They could’ve easily buried the footage/details of his death and put out some fake story of hiding behind civilians or something. Instead it will inspire resistance fighters for generations to come. An iconic last stand, mythic proportions https://t.co/I69sdR8uA8
— Mike Prysner (@MikePrysner) October 17, 2024
“He is seen wounded, with one hand almost completely severed, fighting until the end with a stick. Out of arrogance, they unintentionally created an eternal legend,” one person said on X.
Isha Jain
Isha Jain
