Images of Yahya Sinwar in Gaza Tunnels Released; Israeli Army Claims Millions of Dollars Found at the Site

On Tuesday, February 13, the Israeli army released footage from a tunnel in Khan Younis city, allegedly showing Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas commander in Gaza, along with his family and other senior Hamas officials. According to the Times of Israel, the video reveals that the tunnel has two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, a sleeping area, and a separate room, which the Israeli army believes belongs to Sinwar. Soldiers reportedly found a safe containing millions of shekels and dollars in cash. Following the release of these images, the Israeli army likened Yahya Sinwar to a 'rat' and announced that they would soon capture him, either dead or alive. An Israeli woman, 72, who was held captive by Hamas for nearly 50 days, stated on Channel 12 Israel that she met Yahya Sinwar in a dark and damp tunnel. Yahya Sinwar, 61, along with Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa, both 58, form a three-member military council at the helm of Hamas that designed and executed the October 7 attack. Deif, Issa, and Sinwar are at the top of a list of individuals that Israel claims must be killed. On February 11, the Israeli army also reported the discovery of Hamas tunnels beneath the main headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza. An Associated Press journalist estimated that the tunnel network discovered beneath UNRWA's main headquarters in Gaza extends at least half a kilometer and has at least 10 entrances. Hamas has acknowledged creating hundreds of kilometers of tunnels under Gaza. One of the primary objectives of Israel's assault on Gaza is the destruction of this tunnel network, which Hamas uses to move its members, weapons, and equipment throughout Gaza. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilian infrastructure such as schools, mosques, and UN facilities to attack the country. The Palestinian group Hamas, which is supported by the Islamic Republic of Iran, has also been accused of using Palestinian civilians as 'human shields.'