Israeli army releases video of Yahya Sinwar’s final moments before death

The Israeli army has released drone footage showing the final moments of Hamas' political bureau chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed on Wednesday during a military operation in Rafah.

The video, filmed by an Israeli drone, depicts Sinwar injured and sitting on a sofa in a destroyed house. Wearing a keffiyeh and a mask over his face, Sinwar made a last attempt to resist by throwing an object at the drone.

Israeli media confirmed his death on Thursday, with the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) later verifying his identity through DNA testing.

“The dozens of operations carried out by the [Israeli military] and ISA [Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service,] over the last year and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination,” the Israeli military stated.

As of now, Hamas has not officially commented on Sinwar’s death.

Sinwar, born in the Khan Younis refugee camp, joined Hamas in 1987 and became one of Israel's most wanted figures.

After spending 23 years in Israeli prisons for planning alleged armed activities, he was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.

Often described as the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israeli military bases, Sinwar became the leader of Hamas following the death of former chief Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024.

He advocated for a unified Palestinian state encompassing Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem.