Sinwar has reportedly been moving between hiding places in Gaza, fleeing from the IDF, and possibly hiding as a woman.
JERUSALEM POST STAFF
AUGUST 26, 2024 08:32Updated: AUGUST 26, 2024 08:38
Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s most senior leader, has “dressed as a woman” while hiding among Gaza’s populace during his time outside of the terror group’s tunnel network in the Gaza Strip, the UK’s Daily Express reported on Sunday, citing Israeli intelligence sources.
The New York Times on Sunday, citing American and Israeli officials, reported that Sinwar may have left tunnels in which he had been hiding on a number of occasions over the last year.
Sinwar has reportedly been moving from place to place in the Gaza Strip to stay ahead of Israeli efforts to hunt him down.
Sinwar now Hamas’s most senior leader
Since his appointment to the head of Hamas’s political bureau after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July, Sinwar has been the Islamist organization’s undisputed leader.
Additionally, the IDF targeted the head of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammad Deif, in July before later confirming the elimination of the terror leader.
Yahya Sinwar highlighted in a video published by the IDF on February 13, 2024 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
The strike that killed Deif also eliminated Khan Yunis Brigade commander Rafa’a Salameh.
In August, speaking to the Israeli news outlet Maariv, one Israeli security source estimated that Sinwar was running out of places to hide as the Israeli offensive in the Strip cut away at Hamas’s leadership and continued to advance in Gaza.
Sinwar is believed to be relying on human couriers to receive information and send instructions, the New York Times noted.
“Sinwar is said to no longer trust electronic communications, fearing that the Israeli army will discover his location and kill him,” the Emirati Al-Ain reported earlier this month.
Further, the Arabic-language Asharq al-Awsat reported that Sinwar is insisting that his life be spared as part of ceasefire deal negotiations.
Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-816344.