13 February 2024 , 22:44
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Israeli officials have released footage claiming to show the Hamas’ "mastermind" behind the October 7 attacks.
In the autumn of last year, Hamas gunmen, along with other militant groups, surged across the border and massacred around 1,200 Israelis, taking hostages as well. The bloody attack kick-started the latest conflict as Israel's right-wing government oversaw a brutal bombardment of Gaza, followed by a ground invasion that has seen tens of thousands, mostly women and children, killed.
One long-running issue of the conflict has been linked to the misinformation flooding online with both sides making claims and counter-claims about what’s going on on the ground with countless innocent Palestinians now trapped.
IDF footage claiming to show Yahya Sinwar in underground tunnel network (IDF)The Israel Defence Force has claimed to have released footage of the alleged man behind the horrific October 7 attack - one of the worst terror attacks in recent decades. Yahya Sinwar has been described as the "mastermind" behind the October 7 attacks, Sky News reported.
Sinwar is said to have led Hamas since 2017, having joined up in the 1980s. The 61-year-old has spent over two decades in prison for killing Israelis and his fellow Palestinians suspected of aiding the other side. He has been designated a global terrorist by the US since 2015 and more recently sanctioned by the UK and France.
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In the clip, which hasn’t been verified, the IDF say he can be seen with "one of his wives" and children. It shows them heading down a tunnel days after the initial attack, with Hamas known for their extensive tunnel networks under Gaza.
A man walks down first, turning to check as he lights the way with a torch. He’s followed by a woman, presumably one of Sinwar’s wives, and then several young children before the Hamas leader is seen at the back of the group.
Sinwar is thought to run Hamas within Gaza (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)The clip was allegedly filmed in the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said it was taken on October 10, just days after the horrific initial terror attack.
He was reported as saying on Telegram: "While the people of Gaza are suffering above ground, Sinwar hides in the tunnels below them... running like a coward, an expression of his true personality, with one of his wives and children. As for Hamas leaders, wherever they are hiding, they should know: they are living on borrowed time." This comes as there is growing international concern for Israel’s next move in the ongoing conflict.
After supporting Israel's early efforts in the war, a number of Western countries have seemingly grown uneasy after Israel recently said it intends to invade Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. This has raised alarm because, throughout the initial periods of the conflict, they demanded innocent Palestinians leave their homes and move southwards, towards Rafah, to avoid fighting.
In the footage, a number of children can be seen as well (IDF)With over 1.4million people now there, often homeless and relying on aid, there is growing worry that Israel’s actions will see many more innocents lose their lives. Already, Israeli airstrikes have killed over 100 people in Rafah, and there are fears this will only grow.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron urged Israel to "stop and think" before launching more attacks on Rafah. He said: "The people who are in Rafah, on many occasions, have already moved three, four or five times, and it’s not possible to move again. They can’t go north, because they’ll be going back to homes that have been destroyed, they can’t go south, because that would involve going into Egypt, which none of us want to see and the Egyptians don’t want to see. And that is why it’s so important that the Israelis must stop and think before going ahead with any operations in Rafah."
His comments came as Liberal Democrat peer Lord Purvis of Tweed argued Israel’s actions constitute a war crime. He said: "Any belligerent in the conflict that advises children and civilians to relocate on the pretext of their safety, but relocate to an area where there is no shelter, where there is no water, where there is no medicine and where there are no security guarantees – is a war crime."
Last month, Israel was ordered by the International Court of Justice to do all it can to prevent the deaths of Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza. Israel has denied allegations it is committing genocide in Gaza and said it’s doing all it can to avoid civilian deaths.
So far, over 28,000 people have been killed by Israeli attacks, with local health officials saying over 70 per cent of them are women and children. Around 80 per cent of the population has been displaced and the UN warned a quarter of Palestinians were facing starvation.
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Meanwhile, the latest attempted truce talks are ongoing. Negotiations have involved the US, Egypt, Israel and Qatar but ended inconclusively today.