Lieutenant Colonel Iltamar Eitram , an Israeli soldier who was a part of the mission that resulted in the death of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar , shared his thoughts on Facebook about encountering his body after the operation.
In his post, Eitram described Sinwar as "'a small, ugly, broken figure thrown on a cut-up couch,'" and expressed the pain and suffering the Hamas leader had inflicted on others.
Eitram pondered the fact that Sinwar, despite being created in God's image, had chosen a path of evil, causing immense harm to the world.
"I just came out of Rafah. Not long ago, I looked him—Sinwar—in the eyes. I had a few minutes alone with him, a small, ugly, broken figure on a cut-up couch," Lt Colonel Eitram wrote.
"So much pain this man has caused. I looked at the ruined city, and I felt pain even for them, but most of all, I felt insult—insult in the name of God. He, too, was once a baby and a child, and he also had a choice. And he chose evil. What an insult that he, too, is a man created in Your image—some distortion," he added.
Yahya Sinwar's last moments before being killed by Israel
The operation that led to Yahya Sinwar's death took place during a routine Israeli military patrol in the southern Gaza Strip , amid escalating tensions in the region.
A firefight broke out, and Israeli forces, supported by drones, destroyed part of a building where several militants were hiding. As they cleared the area, they discovered a body resembling Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israel, which had triggered the situation into a full-scale war in the Middle East.
Sinwar's remains were found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 shekels, according to Israeli officials. Footage from the Israeli military showed Sinwar’s last moments, captured by a drone surveying the area.
In the footage, the Hamas leader, visibly injured, tried to throw a piece of wood at the drone in a futile attempt to evade detection. Moments later, another strike collapsed the building, killing Sinwar and two other militants.
Hamas confirms Sinwar's death
Hamas leader Khalil Hayya confirmed Sinwar’s death and said prisoners would not be released until the war in Gaza ended. "We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim," Hayya said in a video statement broadcast by Al Jazeera.
He added that Hamas would continue its struggle until a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital was established.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sinwar's death, saying Israel had "settled its account" with "the person responsible for the worst massacre in the history of our people since the Holocaust."
Who was October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar?
Yahya Sinwar, along with Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas' military wing, is believed to have orchestrated the surprise attack on Israel on October 7. The assault resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and triggered a conflict that has, according to local health authorities, claimed over 42,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza.
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza, Sinwar became one of the early members of Hamas, founded in 1987. He later led the group’s security arm, primarily tasked with eliminating informants suspected of collaborating with Israel.
In the late 1980s, Sinwar was arrested by Israel and admitted to killing 12 suspected collaborators, earning him the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Younis." He was sentenced to four life terms for multiple offenses, including the murders of two Israeli soldiers.
In his post, Eitram described Sinwar as "'a small, ugly, broken figure thrown on a cut-up couch,'" and expressed the pain and suffering the Hamas leader had inflicted on others.
Eitram pondered the fact that Sinwar, despite being created in God's image, had chosen a path of evil, causing immense harm to the world.
"I just came out of Rafah. Not long ago, I looked him—Sinwar—in the eyes. I had a few minutes alone with him, a small, ugly, broken figure on a cut-up couch," Lt Colonel Eitram wrote.
"So much pain this man has caused. I looked at the ruined city, and I felt pain even for them, but most of all, I felt insult—insult in the name of God. He, too, was once a baby and a child, and he also had a choice. And he chose evil. What an insult that he, too, is a man created in Your image—some distortion," he added.
Yahya Sinwar's last moments before being killed by Israel
The operation that led to Yahya Sinwar's death took place during a routine Israeli military patrol in the southern Gaza Strip , amid escalating tensions in the region.
A firefight broke out, and Israeli forces, supported by drones, destroyed part of a building where several militants were hiding. As they cleared the area, they discovered a body resembling Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israel, which had triggered the situation into a full-scale war in the Middle East.
Sinwar's remains were found with a bulletproof vest, grenades, and 40,000 shekels, according to Israeli officials. Footage from the Israeli military showed Sinwar’s last moments, captured by a drone surveying the area.
In the footage, the Hamas leader, visibly injured, tried to throw a piece of wood at the drone in a futile attempt to evade detection. Moments later, another strike collapsed the building, killing Sinwar and two other militants.
Hamas confirms Sinwar's death
Hamas leader Khalil Hayya confirmed Sinwar’s death and said prisoners would not be released until the war in Gaza ended. "We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim," Hayya said in a video statement broadcast by Al Jazeera.
He added that Hamas would continue its struggle until a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital was established.
Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Sinwar's death, saying Israel had "settled its account" with "the person responsible for the worst massacre in the history of our people since the Holocaust."
Yahya Sinwar is dead.
— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) October 17, 2024
He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.
While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it's the beginning of the end. pic.twitter.com/C6wAaLH1YW
Who was October 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar?
Yahya Sinwar, along with Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas' military wing, is believed to have orchestrated the surprise attack on Israel on October 7. The assault resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians, and triggered a conflict that has, according to local health authorities, claimed over 42,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza.
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in Gaza, Sinwar became one of the early members of Hamas, founded in 1987. He later led the group’s security arm, primarily tasked with eliminating informants suspected of collaborating with Israel.
In the late 1980s, Sinwar was arrested by Israel and admitted to killing 12 suspected collaborators, earning him the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Younis." He was sentenced to four life terms for multiple offenses, including the murders of two Israeli soldiers.
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