The United States believes that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, is still alive and is likely hiding in a tunnel beneath Gaza, possibly with hostages nearby. This information was shared by Brett McGurk, the White House Middle East coordinator, on Wednesday.
“Yahya Sinwar remains the decision maker. He remains — we believe — alive and in a tunnel underneath Gaza, holding hostages, and likely with hostages in his vicinity,” McGurk stated during a call with American rabbis in honor of the High Holy Days.
McGurk emphasized that the Biden administration is convinced the ongoing conflict in Gaza could conclude swiftly if Sinwar were to agree to release the 101 hostages currently held by Hamas.
A report from late September by Kan 11 News indicated that Israel is exploring the possibility that Sinwar may have been killed in an IDF air strike targeting the Gaza Strip.
However, the report highlighted that there is no intelligence to substantiate this claim, and a division of opinion exists among defense officials regarding whether the orchestrator of the October 7 attacks has merely lost communication or if he has been killed.
When IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari was questioned about the report, he stated he could neither confirm nor deny it, saying, “I do not have information that [Sinwar] is dead.”
Earlier this week, Al Arabiya reported that Sinwar had recently re-established communication with Hamas leadership in Qatar after being disconnected for a significant duration.
{Matzav.com}