Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar evading Israelis by 'dressing as woman' to hide in plain sight: Report

Assassinated Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh's successor, Yahya Sinwar, is hiding among Palestinians "dressed as woman", a report in Expresshas claimed, citing Israeli intelligence sources.Sinwar, who fares high up in the list of Israeli targets to be eliminated, has left the comfort of terror tunnels in Gaza to camouflage in the public. Earlier this month, the Israeli forces came just 'minutes' from capturing and neutralising Sinwar when his lair was raided in a Gaza tunnel.

"We have actually been minutes away more than once.As we have discovered through other elimination operations, Sinwar will not be sitting underground in tunnels or special underground zones for more than 24 to 36 hours at a time,"Shalom Ben Hanan, who led three divisions of Israel's security agency, the Shin Bet, was quoted as saying by the outlet.

"He knows we can find such underground locations through advanced technology.So now we are looking for him using technology and human intelligence and believe he is likely to be hiding in plain sight," a senior official added.

For Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, killing Sinwar would help send a message that Hamas' top leadership had been completely wiped out - making it easier for him to end the military campaign in Gaza.

Tough task to nab Sinwar

While Israeli forces are desperate to capture Sinwar, the task has not been made easy. A recent report in the New York Times claimed that both the US and Israel had been cooperating for more than 10 months totriangulate Sinwar's position and take him down.

However,Washington feels the arrangement between the two countries was "very lopsided", with Israel gaining far more than the US was receiving in return.

The White House has reportedly shared information leading to Hamas leaders other than Sinwar, hoping to receive reciprocated Israeli intelligence about remaining American hostages in Hamas captivity but Israel has not been as forthcoming.

After narrowly avoiding the Israeli forces, Sinwar has also cut off all digital modes of communication. He is now relying on couriers to evade interception.

The joint Israeli-American intelligence force set up to track Sinwar is still cooperating but with both sides holding their cards tightly, the Hamas chief continues to live a charmed life.

Alongside now-killed Mohammed Deif, the head of Qassam Brigades, Sinwar planned the October 7 attacks, whose foundations were set in place after IDF carried out a raid on Al Aqsa mosque in May 2021.

Disclaimer: A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Israel-Hamas war on the ground and online. While WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

(With inputs from agencies)