Monday, June 24, 2024

Counter-terror expert: How 'cornered rat' Yahya Sinwar survived 8 months of war

Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip and mastermind of the October 7 massacre, has survived more than eight months of war by hiding like a "cornered rat" in tunnels underneath Gaza, according to a counter-terror expert.

The New York Post quoted Colin Clarke, a member of the New York-based Soufan Group and the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, as saying that Sinwar is "likely still in Gaza, deep within the tunnel network and surrounded by hostages to secure his safety."

“Sinwar is someone who is out for his own survival," Clarke added. “It’s his ultimate goal, like a cornered rat.”

According to Clarke, Sinwar is most likely using the “primitive method" of having couriers deliver his orders by hand to avoid using any electronics that can be traced to his location.

Institute for the Study of War chairman Jack Keane, a retired US general, stated that Sinwar has likely relocated from Rafah to Khan Younis ahead of Israel's military operation in the southern Gaza city.

Sinwar is unlikely to be commanding Hamas's forces in the field given the secrecy surrounding his location, but he has been able to consistently kill international ceasefire proposals by continuously turning them down or making new demands. READ MORE