Hamas’ leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar narrowly evaded capture by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) twice in recent days, according to Israeli media reports. Yahya Sinwar is said to be hiding in tunnels under Gaza’s southern city of Khan Younis. Israeli forces have been engaged in intense fighting in recent weeks in the city and have breached some of the underground structures as they attempt to hunt down Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders.
Yahya Sinwar is believed to have orchestrated Hamas’ October 7 attack on southern Israel which killed about 1,140 people in Israel, mostly civilians. Hamas also took around 250 hostages, of whom 105 have been released and several killed.
Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza and sent in ground troops. Tel Aviv's offensive has killed 19,667 people in the territory, mostly women and children but the Hamas chief was reported to have escaped just before the Israeli forces arrived in the tunnel.
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Intelligence gathered by the IDF indicated that Yahya Sinwar is on the move rather than remaining in any one place for an extended period.
What about Israel-Hamas ceasefire
Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Egypt for discussions on the "aggression in the Gaza Strip and other matters", Hamas said as per news agency AFP, as he was due to meet Egypt's spy chief for talks on "stopping the aggression and the war to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners".
{{/usCountry}}Qatar-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh arrived in Egypt for discussions on the "aggression in the Gaza Strip and other matters", Hamas said as per news agency AFP, as he was due to meet Egypt's spy chief for talks on "stopping the aggression and the war to prepare an agreement for the release of prisoners".
{{/usCountry}}Ismail Haniyeh earlier met Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian in Qatar.
Menwhile, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu told hostage families that he had twice sent his spy chief to Europe in efforts to "free our hostages".
"It's our duty, I'm responsible for the release of all the hostages," the premier told the relatives of 129 captives still believed to be held in Gaza.