Israeli troops have surrounded the home of Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu claimed on Wednesday.
It is unclear whether Sinwar himself, who is believed to have planned and ordered the deadly October 7 attacks, is hiding in an underground bunker at his residence in Khan Younis, Gaza’s second-largest city, where the Israeli military advanced its military push south Wednesday. According to Portal, Hamas’s armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, said the fighting was fierce.
“His house may not be his fortress and he may escape, but it is only a matter of time before we get him,” Netanyahu said in a video statement translated by Portal.
“He can escape, but we will get him,” Netanyhu said added.
However, nearby residents told the outlet that it was unclear whether Sinwar was even home, although the presence of Israeli tanks had been confirmed. According to The Times of Israel, Sinwar owns several homes and has already gone into hiding.
When asked about Sinwar’s possible whereabouts, IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said during a press conference, according to The Guardian: “Sinwar is not above ground; he is underground. I don’t want to go into detail about where and how and what we know about intelligence. This is not the place to talk about such things in the media. Our job is to find Sinwar and kill him.”
Israeli officials have vowed to kill the 61-year-old, also known as the “Butcher of Khan Younis.”
“It will be a real victory very soon,” Netanyahu senior adviser Mark Regev told CNN. “It’s only a matter of time before we get the man.”