Drone Strike in Rafah: The Elimination of Yahya Sinwar

On Thursday, the Israeli military unveiled a dramatic video that captures a drone navigating through the air and targeting a building in Rafah. Inside, a figure identified by the military as Yahya Sinwar is seen seated in a chair. The military characterized the footage as depicting Mr. Sinwar just moments before his demise.

Although the video has undergone some editing, it is evident that the individual, who appears to be covered in dust, observes the drone for a notable duration of at least 20 seconds. During this time, he can be seen throwing an object—potentially a stick—at the approaching drone. However, The New York Times has not been able to independently confirm the identity of the man in the footage.

Interestingly, the room presented in the drone video corresponds with earlier images obtained by The New York Times, which depict the body of a man strikingly similar to Mr. Sinwar. Notably, new damage to a wall in the room suggests that an explosion occurred shortly after the drone footage was captured. Furthermore, the corpse in the photographs is adorned with a green kaffiyeh, akin to the one worn by the individual in the video.

The location of the incident is on the second floor of a residential structure situated in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, located in southern Gaza. Earlier on the same day, the Israeli military released various clips showcasing their soldiers operating in the vicinity following Mr. Sinwar’s death. The Times has established that this additional footage was filmed near the very house where Mr. Sinwar met his end.

In recent weeks, the Israeli military has intensified its operations within Rafah. A video recorded in September depicted soldiers patrolling the area from a nearby military outpost. In this clip, the soldiers pass by the residence where Mr. Sinwar was later killed, although it remains unclear whether he was present in the building at that time.