Video shows Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s wife carrying a $32,000 Hermès Birkin bag, sparking controversy and raising questions about Gaza leader’s lifestyle amid conflict
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released a video showing late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar fleeing into a tunnel with his family on the night of October 6, 2023. This was just hours before the deadly attack on Israel on October 7 that sparked further war. More than a year later.
Footage released by the Israel Defense Forces on Saturday shows Shinwar and his family moving into an underground complex in Khan Yunis, carrying large quantities of supplies including food, water and a television, and preparing for a long stay. . The video became controversial and public, especially after viewers noticed that Mr. Sinwar’s wife, Samar Muhammad Abu Zamal, was carrying what appeared to be a $32,000 Hermès Birkin handbag. drew attention to the lavish lifestyle enjoyed by Hamas leaders compared to the dire conditions faced by Gazans.
This is not the first time such footage has been released. In February 2024, the IDF released another video showing Sinwar and his family moving through tunnels under Khan Younis. The military also provided a tour of the underground quarters used by Shinwar, his family, and his guards. Their living quarters were fully equipped with kitchens, beds, uniforms, safes with cash, and fully functional living areas, in contrast to the war-torn conditions on the ground.
The release of this latest video sparked outrage, with many accusing Hamas leaders of exploiting civilians in Gaza while they lived in relative comfort. IDF Arabic spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichai Adlai commented on the controversy: ” The Hermès Birkin handbag, an iconic luxury item worth tens of thousands of dollars, has become a symbol of the glaring disconnect between the wealth of Hamas leaders and the hardships of ordinary Gazans. Social media users were quick to point out the irony, with one user commenting, “I didn’t know people in open-air prisons used Birkin bags,” and another commenting, “Sinwar’s wife’s Birkin bag. was the best last year. It’s literally a war crime.”
he cared only about his personal survival
IDF spokesman Maj. Gen. Daniel Hagari revealed that on the night of October 6, 2023, hours before Hamas launched an attack on southern Israel, Sinwar and his family were focused on their survival. did. “They go up and down for hours, stocking up on food, TVs and other items for a long stay. He (Sinwar) was only concerned about his own survival,” Hagari said. He said Sinwar’s decision to flee underground while sending Hamas fighters to carry out brutal attacks shows a disregard for the lives of Gaza’s civilians, who the leadership uses as human shields. He added that this is an example.
Sinwar, the alleged mastermind of the October 7 massacre, remained in hiding for much of the rest of the war. Israeli authorities tracked his movements between Khan Younis and Rafah and narrowed down his whereabouts throughout the year. Despite several close encounters, including a raid on an underground fortress in February 2024, Sinwar evaded capture until November 2024, when he was killed in a gunfight in the Tel Sultan district of Rafah. .
The IDF confirmed Sinwar’s death after discovering him and two other Hamas operatives during a routine patrol. Shinwar, whose identity was not revealed at first, split from the group and became a target of the Israeli military. After tanks opened fire on the building where Shinwar was hiding, he tried to fight back and threw two grenades, one of which exploded. In his final moments, as a drone approached the room where he was hiding, Sinwar threw a wooden stick at it in a symbolic gesture of defiance. An autopsy in Israel revealed that he died from a gunshot wound to the head.
The Israel Defense Forces released additional footage showing a tank fire in the building where Shinwar was evacuated and the tunnel facility where he had lived in recent months. The video shows a luxurious living environment inside the tunnel, complete with sofas, beds, televisions and communication facilities. Hagari pointed out that Sinwar’s DNA was found in tissues recovered from the complex.
While Hamas supporters have tried to portray Shinwar’s death as heroic, with some sharing footage of his final moments as a symbol of resistance, Israeli authorities believe that Shinwar lived like a fugitive during the war. He emphasized that he was taking action. “Sinwar lived and acted like a wanted terrorist on the run,” Hagari said, noting that he repeatedly moved from one hiding place to another to evade arrest.
Mr. Sinwar’s death was a major blow to Hamas, but the organization vowed to continue its fight against Israel. Khalil al-Haya, deputy head of Hamas’s political bureau based in Qatar, said in a statement that Israel would regret killing Sinwar, adding that his “martyrdom” would only strengthen the group’s resolve.
Negotiations over the release of the 101 hostages still being held in Gaza remain at an impasse. While Israeli officials have expressed cautious optimism that Sinwar’s death could lead to a breakthrough, his younger brother, Muhammad Sinwar, who is expected to succeed him, is similarly hardline. warned that it was showing. Hamas said the hostages would not be released until Israel withdrew from Gaza and the war ended.
As the war continued, the Israeli military discovered more information in a letter found near Shinwar’s hiding place. It also includes correspondence between a Hamas leader and his 10-year-old son, in which Sinwar attempts to instill hatred for Israel in the child. The troops also recovered a large amount of cash and valuable intelligence documents from Sinwar’s body.
Despite Shinwar’s death, Hamas continues to resist Israeli efforts to dismantle its military infrastructure, and the war is escalating. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Joe Biden discussed how to seize the opportunity presented by Sinwar’s removal to secure the release of the hostages.
