Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been hiding among Palestinians “dressed as a woman” after abandoning Gaza’s terror tunnels, Israeli intelligence sources said last night.
The architect of the October 7 atrocities was already a target on Israel’s hit list when he was promoted to become the leader of the terror group’s political wing following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran earlier this month.
He became the leader of Hamas in Gaza in 2017 through threats and intimidation against his rivals, as well as forcing them into exile.
Israeli military chiefs believe capturing or killing him would deal the final death blow to Hamas’s hierarchy, causing it to dissolve.
Sinwar is so worried about his safety that last week he added a new condition to fragile ceasefire talks in Cairo in a bid to protect himself.
Israeli forces came within just “minutes” of capturing him 10 days ago, when they raided his lair in a Gaza tunnel.
“We were close. We were in his underground compound. The coffee was still hot,” said Brigadier General Dan Goldfus, the outgoing commander of the IDF’s 98th division. Since then the 61-year-old has been hiding in plain sight among the throngs of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, as Israeli forces engage in a race against time to apprehend him.
“We have actually been minutes away more than once,” said Shalom Ben Hanan, who led three divisions of Israel’s security agency the Shin Bet, and is considered to be closely involved in the hunt for Sinwar.
“As we have discovered through other elimination operations, Sinwar will not be sitting in underground tunnels or special underground zones for more than 24 to 36 hours at a time. He knows we can find such underground locations through advanced technology. And he knows if a mistake is made or we find sources to tell us where he is, he needs to be on the move – to avoid that mistake becoming fatal for him.
“We are looking for him using technology and human intelligence, and believe he is likely to be hiding in plain sight.”
Israeli assets inside Gaza are said to be equipped with instant DNA kits which they deploy on suspects by taking a drop of blood during a seemingly innocent handshake. This can be analysed in moments and his identity confirmed before he can move location.
A large reward has also been offered for information leading to his capture.
“Sinwar is not popular among large segments of the Gaza population,” a source told the Sunday Express.
“They believe he has led them to ruin and it can only get worse the longer he stays alive.”