Watch: Yahya Sinwar in tunnel hours before Oct 7 attack, wife seen carrying handbag worth $32,000
Screengrab of the video of Yahya Sinwar and his wife passing through the tunnel.
A new footage of dead Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was released by Israel on Sunday (October 20) in which he was seen shifting his belongings along with his family members through a tunnel in Gaza hours before the October 7 attack on Tel Aviv.
Israel released the footage after the IDF troopskilled Sinwar in the southern Gaza city of Rafah on Wednesday (Oct 16). In the video, Sinwar, his wife and children are seen shifting their personal belongings which included television, water, pillows and mattresses through the tunnel, which according to Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari was beneath their home in Khan Younis.
In the press conference, Hagari shared photos of the underground compound, which had toilets, showers, and a kitchen. The IDF also found some cash, food and documents in the tunnel.
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Israel says Sinwar and his family shamelessly lived in 'luxury'
Showing the footage released by the IDF (Israel Defense Forces), Israel said that the wife of Yahya Sinwar was carrying a handbag worth $32,000 (approximately Rs 27 lakh).
“Sinwar's wife caught in this photo sneaking to the tunnels the night before October 7th – get this – clutching a $32,000 Hermes Birkin bag! While Gazans endured hardship under Hamas, Sinwar and his family were shamelessly living in luxury, indulging while sending others to die,” stated the X handle run by Israel's foreign ministry.
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The claim was repeated by IDF's Arabic language spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee. He said that on the one hand Sinwar's family enjoyed a luxurious life, on the other hand, Gazans struggled in poverty and many did not even "have enough money for food".
Israel had also released drone footage that captured the last moments of the critically wounded Sinwar when he threw an object towards the drone. According to the autopsy, Sinwar died because of a gunshot to the head and one of his fingers was also cut off.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.