Sinwar Not Hiding in Rafah, Officials Say, as PM Publicly Prioritizes IDF Operation There
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is not hiding in Rafah, two officials familiar with the matter told Israeli media on Friday, May 10, as the IDF moves to expand its operations in Gaza’s southernmost city.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has elevated a potential IDF operation in Rafah to the top of his public agenda, with the targeting of Hamas’s leadership believed to still be a major Israeli war aim as well.
The IDF has had some success on this front, killing Hamas military wing deputy commander Marwan Issa — considered the terror group’s No. 3 leader in Gaza — along with other senior commanders in recent months.
But Sinwar and his deputy — military wing chief Mohammed Deif — have remained elusive, despite repeated claims by Israeli officials that the IDF was closing in on them.
The two officials were unable to say with certainty where Sinwar is currently located, but they cited recent intelligence assessments that placed the Hamas leader in underground tunnels in the Khan Younis area, some five miles north of Rafah. A third official — an Israeli one — asserted that Sinwar is still in Gaza. (TOI / VFI News)
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” - Exodus 14:14