Israel neared capturing Yahya Sinwar five times during Israel-Hamas War - report

Israel almost captured former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar five times throughout operations in the Gaza Strip, Asharq Al-Awsat reported on Sunday, citing sources familiar with the subject.

“With the intensification of the military operation inside Khan Yunis, Sinwar insisted on staying there, and he separated several times from his brother Muhammad and Rafa'a Salameh," the sources reportedly told the news outlet.   According to sources, Sinwar stayed in Rafah for some time during the war, both above and underground.

Sinwar reportedly communicated with his family at almost monthly intervals. 

The report further claimed that IDF troops neared the former Hamas leader three times above ground and twice underground. 

Sinwar killed by IDF troops in Gaza 

Sinwar was eliminated by the IDF in October in Tel Sultan in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip after troops of the 828 Bislach Brigade identified three suspicious figures walking in and out of a structure. 

Following fire from the troops, the figures separated, with one individual, who later turned out to be Sinwar, entering a building separately.

An IDF tank struck the structure in which Sinwar was embedded, after which a drone was dispatched to assess the situation. A masked Sinwar could be seen in footage later published by IDF attacking the drone with a stick. 

The tank subsequently fired at the structure again, after which troops waited for DNA checks to ascertain Sinwar's identity. 

All indications pointed to the fact that no hostages were killed in the operation. 

Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jacob Laznik, and Maya Gur Arieh contributed to this report.