On October 19, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released footage showing Mohammad Sinwar, the deceased leader of Hamas, moving his family through underground tunnels just hours before the October 7 border attack. The video captured Sinwar along with his son, transporting supplies such as food and a television. Notably, his wife was seen carrying a Hermes Birkin bag valued at $32,000.
In a recent statement, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari shared details of Sinwar’s escape route just before the raid, revealing that he and his family entered a tunnel system on October 6, just hours before the assault. For several hours, they were seen moving various supplies, including food and mattresses.
Hagari explained that Sinwar constructed an underground bunker in Khan Younis, from which he coordinated attacks. When the IDF entered this hideout earlier this year, they found living quarters complete with a shower, bed, safe, uniforms, television, food, and communication equipment—essentially a fully equipped living space.
Hagari mentioned that Sinwar mostly traveled between Khan Younis and Rafah, noting that the IDF was close to capturing him on multiple occasions.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Avichay Adraee, a spokesperson for the IDF’s Arabic-language media, also shared screenshots from the footage, highlighting Sinwar’s wife holding the expensive handbag. One social media user sarcastically commented that her bag was already outdated from the previous year, implying a violation of wartime ethics.
Sinwar was estimated to be worth around $3 billion, while his body was discovered with thousands of shekels on him. The shekel is the currency used in both Israel and Gaza, with an exchange rate of approximately 8.24 New Taiwan dollars to one shekel.
Additionally, BBC reported that Ashraf Abo Taha, a displaced man from Gaza, discovered that Sinwar’s burial site was actually his home in Rafah. Taha had evacuated from the house he lived in for 15 years in May due to the conflict and expressed disbelief upon realizing the connection.
He recounted his shock when he recognized his destroyed home in footage captured by an Israeli drone, which had shown Sinwar hiding in a damaged house before being killed. Taha left Rafah on May 6, the day Israel ordered evacuations while launching operations against Hamas.
Taha’s daughter was the first to show him the video purportedly showing Sinwar’s final moments, describing features of their Rafah home. Initially skeptical, Taha only believed it when his brother confirmed the house in the video was indeed theirs.
“I was amazed to see it; that’s my house,” Taha described his reaction. He emphasized that he and his family had no prior involvement with Sinwar or Hamas.
BBC has verified that the images and footage provided by Taha correspond with the house where Sinwar was killed, although they could not confirm ownership of the property. Taha mentioned that the house, built with the help of his siblings, was worth around 200,000 shekels (about $53,000) and was in good condition when he left. “What has happened has deeply saddened me; my house and all my savings are gone. Only God can compensate us,” he stated.
