New details regarding slain Hamas leader Sinwar’s activities prior to being eliminated by the IDF last month have been revealed by The London-based Asharq Al-Awsat.

According to the report, Israeli forces nearly captured the Hamas chief on at least five separate occasions before his death during what officials described as a routine operation.

Early in the conflict, security cameras caught Sinwar stockpiling supplies in Khan Yunis tunnels, where he initially sheltered with his relatives. As the IDF tightened its grip on Khan Yunis, Sinwar’s movements grew more erratic.

Though isolated, he managed occasional meetings with other Hamas leaders, including his brother Muhammad and regional commander Rafa’a Salameh. His only contact with his wife and children came through letters delivered every month or so.

In one close call, Israeli troops closed in on a house in Khan Yunis’ Block G where Sinwar was hiding with just one bodyguard. Though armed and reportedly ready to fight, he slipped away through holes Hamas fighters had blasted through neighboring buildings. He resurfaced at a safe house barely a kilometer away.

Despite fighting to stay in Khan Yunis, Sinwar finally gave in to pressure from his brother Salama and fled to Rafah in February as the IDF secured the area. He spent his last months moving between western Rafah’s tunnels and buildings – including one where six Israeli hostages were killed.

A final message from Sinwar about his nephew Ibrahim’s death and burial location reached his family two days after his elimination.

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