Raw drone footage of the Israel Defense Forces attacking and apparently killing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was uploaded by the IDF to their official YouTube account on Thursday, which the IDF has said shows the terrorist group head’s final moments.
The 48-second clip shows a man in a chair, with an onscreen note that the person is Yahya Sinwar. He appears to be alive throughout the video, with the clip ending with him throwing an object at the drone. You can watch the embedded video below.
Sinwar, Hamas’ top commander in Gaza, was one of three people killed during an IDF operation in Gaza this week, according to an IDF statement.
The IDF said there were “no signs of the presence of hostages in the area.” The infantry unit in Rafah came across Sinwar and two others, killing them without knowing he was the head of Hamas, according to the IDF.
President Joe Biden said the killing of Sinwar is a “good day for Israel, for the United States and for the world,” likening the Gaza chief’s death to the killing of Osama bin Laden in 2011.
“Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed my national security team that a mission they conducted in Gaza likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar,” Biden said in an official White House statement released Thursday.
“DNA tests have now confirmed that Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” the president added. “To my Israeli friends, this is no doubt a day of relief and reminiscence, similar to the scenes witnessed throughout the United States after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011.”
“As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, Americans, and citizens from over 30 countries,” Biden added, reflecting on those who have been murdered on the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ initial attack on Oct. 7. “He was the mastermind of the October 7th massacres, rapes, and kidnappings. It was on his orders that Hamas terrorists invaded Israel to intentionally – and with unspeakable savagery – kill and massacre civilians, a Holocaust survivor, children in front of their parents, and parents in front of their children.”
Biden continued: “Over 1,200 people were killed on that day, the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust, including 46 Americans. More than 250 were taken hostage, with 101 still missing. That number includes seven Americans, four of whom are believed to still be alive and held by Hamas terrorists. Sinwar is the man most responsible for this, and for so much of what followed.”
