The dramatic last moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s life have been captured on video by a drone.
The Hamas leader was killed yesterday in the southern Gaza town of Rafah by Israeli troops during a firefight.
Sinwar is considered to be the evil mastermind behind the October 7 attack in Israel that left at least 1,200 people dead and resulted in 251 hostages being taken.
Israel’s prime minister vowed to make him pay for his crimes, calling him a “dead man walking”.
And now it seems Israel has exacted its revenge after just over a year since it launched its military campaign in Gaza, which has also killed tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Video footage released by Israel’s military and shot by a drone shows the wrecked interior of a building.
A dust-covered figure, whose face is concealed by a scarf, can be seen sitting on a sofa amidst the rubble.
The figure is hunched slightly forward on the sofa and is identified as a Palestinian militant. At this stage, the IDF did not know it was Sinwar.
As the drone approaches for a better view, Sinwar throws what appears to be a plank of wood at it.
The Israeli military says it then fired an additional shell at the building, collapsing it and killing Sinwar.
Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said Sinwar was found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 shekels (£8,252).
According to the Jerusalem Post, Hagari told reporters: “Sinwar fled alone into one of the buildings. Our forces used a drone to scan the area, which you can see here in the footage I’m presenting.”
“Sinwar, who was injured in his hand by gunfire, can be seen here with his face covered, in his final moments, throwing a wooden plank at the drone,” he said.
“He tried to escape and our forces eliminated him.”.
Iran has said Sinwar’s death will only strengthen the “spirit of resistance” and that his martyrdom will inspire a new generation of Palestinian youth.
It said in a statement posted on X, Iran’s UN missions said: “When Muslims look up to Martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield – in combat attire and out in the open, not in a hideout, facing the enemy – the spirit of resistance will be strengthened.
“He will become a model for the youth and children who will carry forward his path toward the liberation of Palestine.
“As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration.”
