Video: Yahya Sinwar, seated on sofa, threw stick at Israeli drone before death

In the footage, Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar is seen sitting alone in a destroyed apartment in Gaza, covered in dust. He hurls a stick or plank at the approaching Israeli drone.

In Short

• Israeli military releases drone footage of Yahya Sinwar's last moments
• Sinwar seen in destroyed apartment, covered in dust with a wounded arm
• Footage shows Sinwar throwing a stick at approaching drone

Israeli military officials have released drone footage that they claim shows the final moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in a military operation in the Gaza Strip on Thursday.

The video depicts Sinwar sitting on a sofa in a destroyed apartment, his head and face obscured by a scarf. The walls of the building appear to be blown out from shelling, and Sinwar is covered in dust, with his right arm severely wounded. As the Israeli drone approaches him, he is seen throwing a stick or a wooden plank over his head at it.

According to Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari, at the time the footage was recorded, Sinwar had only been identified as a fighter. Following this, the military fired another shell at the building, causing it to collapse and kill Sinwar.

"He tried to escape, and our forces eliminated him," Hagari said,

Hamas has not commented on the killing of Sinwar.

The operation that led to the Hamas chief's death began when infantry soldiers spotted three suspected militants moving between buildings and opened fire, sparking a gunfight. Sinwar managed to escape into a ruined building, where he was tracked by the drone.

Sinwar, who had led Hamas in Gaza since 2017, was described by Israeli and US officials as the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 people and the taking of 251 hostages.

Israeli officials confirmed Sinwar's death after comparing dental records, fingerprints, and conducting DNA testing on a body recovered from the site. Photos circulating online showed a man resembling Sinwar with a gaping head wound, dressed in a military-style vest, half buried in the rubble of a destroyed building.

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Today, as we promised to do, we settled the score with him."

He stated that Sinwar's killing is part of Israel's ongoing efforts to bring justice to those responsible for the October 7 attacks and to secure the release of hostages still held by Hamas.

With inputs from Agencies