Israeli forces 'almost' catch top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

NEW DELHI: The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday said that they were very close to capturing the top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar when he escaped from the tunnel only a few hours before the raid.

IDF spokesman Daniel Hageri said, "IDF had specific information about the tunnel where Sinwar was hiding. However, he fled the tunnel only a few hours before the IDF conducted the raid.”

The Hamas leader has escaped capture by the IDF twice in recent days, according to Israeli media sources.

Believed to be hiding in tunnels in Gaza's Khan Younis, the Israeli forces have cracked down upon various underground structures in an effort to hunt down Sinwar and other leaders.

On Sunday, the Israeli soldiers had raided the vacation homes of several Hamas leaders, Sinwar being one of them.

The IDF seized the office of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade commander, as well as underground and terror infrastructure. It further captured the main square of Bani Suheila, a suburb of Khan Yunis.

According to the IDF, units from the Seventh Brigade have killed many terrorists and disclosed approximately 30 underground shafts last.

Yahya Sinwar is suspected of executing Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel, which killed at least 1200 Israelis, the majority of whom were civilians.