The IDF posted a video online in which we see former Hamas leader Yahya Sinouar taking refuge in a building in Rafah before his death under an Israeli shell.
He was one of the masterminds of the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023 on Israeli soil. Leader of Hamas – at least of its military branch – Yahya Sinouar died Thursday in the Tel-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. For many weeks, he had been hunted in this area of the Gaza Strip, based on information indicating the probable presence of senior Hamas officials, the IDF explained.
Late Wednesday morning, three individuals acting suspiciously were spotted entering and leaving a building by soldiers from the School of Infantry Commanders and Combat Training (the 828th Bislamach Brigade), i24 News reports. They did not know the identities of the three men.
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A finger removed to identify it
“Sinouar rushed into a building alone and our forces inspected the area with a drone. Yahya Sinouar, injured in one hand by the shots, hid his face and threw a branch towards the drone,” Daniel Hagari, spokesperson for the Israeli army, explained in a televised statement, showing a video filmed by the drone on Israeli television.
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“We identified him as a terrorist in a building and we fired on that building (with tank shells and a Matador missile, editor’s note) before entering to inspect the area. We found him with a gun and 40,000 shekels (around 10,000 euros). He was on the run and our soldiers eliminated him,” he continued.
His body was found in the rubble of the building on Thursday. The resemblance being striking, the IDF proceeded to identify the victim by removing part of his finger to verify his DNA, explains the BBC. Confirmation of his identity arrived Thursday afternoon.
