Footage shows final moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar as he throws stick at drone before being killed
18 October 2024, 09:14 | Updated: 18 October 2024, 09:46
IDF footage shows final moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
Footage shared by the IDF has shown Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's final moments before he was killed.
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The clip showed Sinwar throw a stick at the drone filming him in a feeble attempt to defend himself.
It came just moments before he was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza.
The Hamas leader, who had his head covered with a scarf to hide his identity, was camouflaged in the rubble of a building as he sat in what appeared to once be a living room.
He could be seen looking directly at the drone as it honed in on him, before throwing the stick in its direction
The footage ended moments later when the building was hit by Israeli strikes.
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Sinwar was confirmed dead by Israel's foreign minister on Thursday, following DNA testing on bodies recovered at the scene.
He had long been held responsible for the October 7 attacks.
During a press conference on Thursday, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the drone had identified three terrorists who had been fleeing between buildings.
"Sinwar fled alone into one of the buildings," he said.
"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.
"We identified him as a terrorist inside a building, fired at the building, and then went in to search.
"We found him with a vest, a pistol, and 40,000 shekels. He was on the run, fleeing, and our forces eliminated him."
He added: "Sinwar was responsible for the most brutal attack against Israel in our history when terrorists from Gaza invaded Israel, massacred Israelis in their homes, raped our women, burned entire families alive and took over 250 men, women and children, babies, hostage to Gaza.
"For the past year, Sinwar tried to escape justice. He failed. We said we would find him and bring him to justice, and we did.
"It was Yahya Sinwar who decided to wage war with Israel while hiding behind civilians in Gaza."
Following confirmation of his death, Keir Starmer said the UK would not mourn Sinwar.
"As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind behind the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, as 1200 people were slaughtered in Israel," Sir Keir said.
"Today my thoughts are with the families of those victims. The UK will not mourn his death.
"The release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid are long overdue so we can move towards a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East."
US President Joe Biden encouraged Israel to use this victory as an opportunity for peace.
In a statement, Mr Biden compared it to the feeling in the US after the killing of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the September 11 attacks on the US in 2001.
Sinwar’s death "proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes," Biden added.
The President will now speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders "and discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all".
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However, Hezbollah has said it will escalate its war with Israel following Sinwar's death while Iran said "the spirit of resistance will be strengthened".
Hezbollah said on Friday it is entering a new phase in its fight against invading Israeli troops.
A statement said that the group's fighters have used new types of precision-guided missiles and explosive drones for the first time.
It appeared to refer to a drone laden with explosives that evaded Israel's multilayered air-defence system and slammed into a mess hall at a military training camp deep inside Israel, killing four soldiers and wounding dozens.
The group also announced earlier this week that it fired a new type of missile called Qader 2 toward the suburbs of Tel Aviv.
The statement also said that Hezbollah's air defence units shot down two Israeli Hermes 450 drones this week.
