Posted on 02/20/24
| News Source: i24
Israel believes Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar fled the Gaza Strip for Egypt, said Arabic online newspaper Elaph.
According to the report, the Hamas chief could have taken an unspecified number of hostages with him. He is believed to have crossed the border through a tunnel he entered in the Refah area with his brother and sister.
The report suggested Israel knows of eight tunnels allowing even a car to be transported across the Egyptian border.
Earlier in February, Israel gained footage showing Sinwar in the tunnels beneath Khan Yunis, a source confirmed to i24NEWS. He was previously reported not participating in the hostage deal and ceasefire negotiations and to have gone incommunicado.
Meanwhile, Hamas is said to be searching for Sinwar's replacement. "There is a bid for who will manage Gaza. There is no party in control. The Khan Yunis Brigade is defeated and no longer functions as a military entity," stated Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.