Just over a year ago, the idea of an Israeli civilian setting foot in Gaza seemed unthinkable. Today, that scenario has become a reality, as evidenced by an Israel Hayom reporter standing inside the Rafah home where Hamas's top leader met his end. This location will undoubtedly be etched into the annals of Jewish history.
The house where the mass murderer met his end is located a mere 18-minute drive from the Israeli point at Kibbutz Kerem Shalom. Despite its proximity to the border, military officials believe Sinwar calculated this urban location, less than a mile from the sea, as his safest option. Speculations suggest he was attempting to reach the civilian area of al-Mawasi, Rafah, to blend in among the civilians or possibly access tunnels in Rafah for an escape to Egypt. It's unlikely he anticipated IDF forces reaching his hideout. And they did.
Raw footage of Yahya Sinwar's last moments: pic.twitter.com/GJGDlu7bie
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) October 17, 2024
Blood drops on the entrance wall alerted approaching soldiers to a presence inside. They strategically retreated, regrouping with additional firepower and drone support before the famous footage was captured.
The house lies in ruins. On the second floor are two orange sofas, on one of which Sinwar sat in his final moments. It's hard to shake off the thought, which is even a bit satisfying, that when Sinwar sat on the sofas, wounded, bleeding, dying, and looked out through the wall, he saw the results of his actions – Gaza dismantled, broken, destroyed, in ruins.
Sinwar was alone when found. His security detail had scattered in the face of pursuing IDF forces, with members fleeing to nearby buildings. Every Israeli can find some solace in knowing that in his final moments, with Hamas leadership decimated and Gaza in ruins, Sinwar must have realized the futility of his actions – a suicide mission from which he and his comrades would never return.
Contrary to the false Palestinian narrative, Sinwar did not fight. Even the pathetic stick-throwing wasn't fighting. The soldiers who eliminated him say that he covered himself with three blankets and tried to hide behind furniture. He wasn't a great fighter, more of a cowardly flea.
Lt. Col. Gilad Pasternak, Deputy Commander of the brigade, appears in the famous image of soldiers standing over Sinwar's body. For Pasternak, this mission closed a personal circle – a decade after being wounded in battle in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, he now stood over the body of Israel's most wanted enemy.
"This is closure. Sinwar was responsible for that incident, he planned and carried it out, and now he was lying dead here," Pasternak said. "There's great pride throughout the country – in our fighters, our commanders, and all our soldiers. You see in front of you the one who murdered so many Israelis, caused so much suffering to so many Israelis lying thrown, pathetic, as he deserves. The feeling is one of satisfaction. Justice done. Joy over an operational achievement and the professionalism of the soldiers. Now we have to win the war to bring back the hostages."
Pasternak emphasized that Sinwar did not die fighting. "We know what combat looks like, and this wasn't it. This was a man fleeing and hiding. Someone who fights doesn't cower under blankets or make feeble attempts to throw sticks. Real combat looks entirely different."
The journey to Tel Sultan, where Sinwar was found, is as significant as the final hideout itself. The Philadelphi Corridor is well paved and has two lanes, and now they're already marking driving arrows with spray paint as if it were a road in Tel Aviv. The destruction in Rafah is evident, with neighborhoods reduced to rubble and infrastructure in shambles. The destruction cannot be conveyed in words or pictures. Along the route, there are infrastructure works. It's doubtful anyone intends to leave the place anytime soon.
Lt. Col. Pasternak shared his feelings: "There's no joy over the destruction of innocent lives, but we all understand that they brought this upon themselves."
At the entrance to the house stood Brigade Commander Sivan Bloch. "I'm interviewing on behalf of my soldiers and commanders, I'm just representing them, they did a wonderful and difficult job," he said. He then recounted the elimination of Sinwar: "The brigade took the Rafah area for defense and offensive missions. We carried out ambushes. A very alert soldier identified suspicious movement, two blocks from here, 650 feet to the south."
"He then mobilized forces. Trackers identified footprints, moved from detection to detection, reached the house, and heard voices. Sinwar's cell gets nervous and flees to the house next door. That's where the first encounter took place. The cell fleed, they didn't fight or anything. The force hit some of them, and they scattered from fear. Sinwar fled to this house. One terrorist and two others fled to nearby houses. The battalion strived for contact. A soldier was wounded in the encounter, the soldier is from the Druze community. And it should be noted that this operation involved Israelis from all sectors of society – Druze, religious, secular, everyone participated. That's one of the remarkable aspects of this event."
He continued with the dramatic description. "Blood stains were identified at the entrance to the stairs and the soldiers understood that there was someone there, they took back, brought tanks, and identified terrorists, yet still didn't understand that it was Sinwar. They carried out fire until he was killed."
"You could see Sinwar's pathetic state," Bloch said. "With a stick, covered face, not really a battle going on, there wasn't any real fighting happening. On the contrary, he was trying to hide, to conceal himself, to cover himself with things. Although they didn't understand who it was, the soldiers were doing a wonderful job."
The operation continued through the night, with forces eliminating the remaining members of Sinwar's cell by 6 a.m. It was only when scanning the area with drones that they identified Sinwar's face. "We joked that it resembled Sinwar. As verification came in, we realized this was far more significant than just another terrorist neutralized by our battalion."
Bloch emphasized that Sinwar's elimination, while significant, is not the end of their mission. "Killing Sinwar doesn't mean our job is done. We'll continue to capture terrorists, eliminate threats, and dismantle their infrastructure. We must remain vigilant to prevent Hamas from regrouping. Our ongoing operations are crucial to Israel's security."
The brigade commander bristled at suggestions that Sinwar's elimination was mere luck. "This wasn't a fluke," he stated firmly. "I've heard people saying it was, but that's simply not true. This was the result of our soldiers' relentless hard work and dedication to bringing victory to Israel."
Despite the magnitude of their achievement in eliminating Hamas' top leader, Bloch and his soldiers didn't engage in overt celebrations. "Our celebration was continuing our mission – conducting more ambushes, maintaining our operational tempo. There were no barbecues or fireworks. Our bulldozers kept working, our soldiers remained active. We're proud of what we've accomplished, and we're glad it brings some comfort to our nation. But our work continues."
