These Photos Do Not Show Hamas's Sinwar Visiting a Battleground Recently

Misbar investigated the circulating photos and found the claim to be misleading.

After conducting a thorough reverse image search, Misbar’s team determined the photos making the rounds to be outdated.

Outdated Photos of Hamas Leader Shared as Recent

Contrary to social media users’ claim, the two photos are not recent. 

The first photo dates back to September 2018, during the Hamas leader’s participation in the Great March of Return. 

The Palestinian Information Center uploaded the photo in a published article on September 21, 2018. 

While taking part in the events of the Great March of Return in eastern Gaza, Sinwar emphasized that those who place their trust in the Palestinian people, particularly the people of Gaza, amidst their sacrifices and resilience, will see their aspirations fulfilled.

The second photo is also older than claimed. The original photo features Hamas' Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar attending a parade of the Ezzeddin al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, in Gaza City on May 30, 2021. 

The photograph was taken by Ashraf Amra for Anadolu Agency via Getty Images.

Who Is Yahya Sinwar?

In 1989, Sinwar was sentenced by an Israeli court to four life terms for his role in the killings of alleged Palestinian informants and a plot to assassinate two Israeli soldiers. After spending 22 years in prison, Sinwar was released in 2011 along with over 1,000 Palestinian detainees in exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Sinwar rose to prominence in Hamas' political leadership in Gaza in 2014 and was elected as the overall leader of Hamas in the region in 2017.

Israel suspected Yahya Sinwar's involvement in orchestrating Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7, 2023. In December 2023, the Israeli military distributed leaflets in Gaza, offering a reward of $400,000 for information leading to his capture and labeling him as "a dead man walking."

Hamas Official: Sinwar Operates Above Ground

According to remarks reported by The New Arab, a high-ranking source within Hamas stated that Yahya Sinwar, the enigmatic leader of the group in Gaza, is effectively guiding the movement on the ground during the ongoing war on Gaza.

The source dismissed Israeli claims that Sinwar is concealed within tunnel networks, characterizing such claims as efforts by Netanyahu and associates to deflect attention from their inability to achieve stated objectives before the Israeli populace and allies.

The source mentioned that Sinwar recently visited areas where clashes occurred between the resistance and the Israeli army, interacting with some movement fighters above ground rather than in tunnels. Moreover, in recent internal and external leadership discussions of the movement, Sinwar briefed external leadership on the resistance's situation in the Strip. He underscored, with precise field data, the strength of the resistance's stance, its resilience, and its capacity to confront the occupying forces.

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