“Cause huge losses to Israel”… It is different from the damage estimated by Israel.
Yahya Shinwar, who leads the Palestinian armed faction Hamas, said he would not surrender in a war with Israel.
According to the Times of Israel (TOI), Sinwar sent this message in a letter released through Al Jazeera on the 25th (local time), saying that their organization was “faced with an intense, violent, and unprecedented war against the Israeli occupation forces.”
In the letter, he said, “The occupying forces suffered enormous losses in life and equipment,” and claimed that their organization had eliminated more than 1,000 Israeli soldiers. However, the number of soldiers officially recognized by Israel is 156.
Sinwar, however, said that their organization was causing fatal damage to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and that “we will not submit to the conditions imposed by the occupying force.” TOI believed that the remarks mentioned the possibility of an agreement with Israel.
According to reports, Sinwar claimed that his group inflicted fatal wounds on more than 3,500 Israeli soldiers. However, TOI added that the actual number of such injuries estimated by the IDF is less than 200.
Sinwar also said they completely or partially destroyed 750 Israeli tanks. This also contradicts the IDF’s statement last November that there were very few severely damaged tanks.
Today’s message is Sinwar’s first public message since the war began following Hamas’ Al-Aqsa flood raid on October 7. The message comes as Egypt has proposed a three-step plan to end the war in Gaza.
The gist of Egypt’s proposal is ▲temporary ceasefire and release of hostages ▲formation of a Palestinian unity government ▲release of remaining prisoners and withdrawal of Israeli troops. It is known that Israel discussed the matter through a war cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile, the IDF is offering a large bounty to obtain information on Hamas leaders, including Sinwar. The bounty on Shinwar amounts to $400,000 (about 517 million won).
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.