Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during an Israeli strike last week. Secret papers appear to reveal his last orders surrounding hostages and his plans to use them as leverage
The leader of Hamas instructed his troops to “take care” of the remaining hostages in Gaza in a handwritten last order, according to classified documents.
Yahya Sinwar was killed in an Israeli strike in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, October 16. Palestinian media have shared secret papers, which appear to be his last orders, written across three pages.
Sinwar is said to have left instructions for his men in Gaza and relayed orders for them to keep hostages. He appears to refer to hostages as “our pressure card” as he explained why they cannot set them free yet.
As part of the documents, one order said to “take care of the lives of enemy prisoners and secure them, since they are the bargaining chip in our hands”, reports Al Quds. He cited Prophet Mohamed’s Hadith to “visit the sick, feed the hungry and relieve the suffering”.
The papers also include a verse from the Quran, which says: “…and afterwards either set them free as a favour or let them ransom”. The quote was taken from a longer form of text which states: “If you encounter the disbelievers in a battle, strike-off their heads. Take them as captives when they are defeated. Then you may set them free as a favour to them, with or without a ransom, when the battle is over. This is the Law.”
He continued the verse with the Prophet’s words and wrote: “Visit the sick, feed the hungry, and free the captive.” The Hamas leader added: “The duty of releasing our prisoners can only be accomplished by guarding the enemy’s prisoners, and the reward for liberating the prisoners is recorded for the benefit of the mujahideen.”
According to reports, the 11 female hostages who were mentioned on the last published page, have since been freed. The Mirror has been unable to verify the validity of the documents, which counter earlier speculations repeated by Israeli negotiator Gershon Baskin to The Telegraph. He claimed that Sinwar had ordered his troops to “kill their hostages” if he died. Israel has not responded to the papers.
Mr Sinwar’s killing appeared to be a chance frontline encounter with Israeli troops on Wednesday. His death marked a major symbolic victory for Israel in its yearlong war against Hamas in Gaza. But it has also allowed Hamas to claim him as a hero who was killed in the battlefield, not hiding in a tunnel.
The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on October 7 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting another 250. Around 100 hostages are still inside Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed over 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not say how many were combatants but says women and children make up more than half the fatalities.
