On Thursday, October 17th, Yahya Sinwar finally met his deserved end. The mastermind behind the October 7th attacks in Israel, which killed over 1200 people, ate a tank shell after he and two of his bodyguards were located inside the upper floor of a building. 

SEE: Reports Out of Gaza Confirm October 7th Mastermind Yahya Sinwar Has Been Eliminated 

But while the description and post-mortem photographs are telling, Sinwar was actually filmed moments before his death. In unprecedented fashion, a drone managed to fly within feet of the terrorist leader as he sat injured in a blown-out apartment. 

Drone footage of an injured Sinwar moments before he was Eliminated pic.twitter.com/om8fXovN8r

— Mossad Commentary (@MOSSADil) October 17, 2024

The damage shown in the video was caused by the first tank shell that struck. Sinwar can be seen sitting in a red chair with his arm gashed open. His face was wrapped and he wore a military-style vest. He appears to try to call someone on a radio before tossing a stick at the drone, apparently having no other weapons left to use. 

It's an incredible scene. A man who committed such evil acts was left sitting in a destroyed room full of debris and tossing a stick while resigning himself to what was coming. He knew he was done for. There was no further attempt to escape, if he was even physically capable of moving, and moments later, another tank shell would finish the job. That's how the story of Hamas' leader ended. Not in a grand battle, but cowering in a chair like the rat he was. 

It'll be interesting to find out why Sinwar was above ground at this point. With only two bodyguards around him, one being a UNRWA teacher, there didn't appear to be much left of Hamas as an operation. It had been reported numerous times over the last year that Sinwar liked to surround himself with hostages. None were found in this location, though, which could indicate he was trying to lower his profile and draw less attention. 

Not being underground could also be a result of the IDF's relentless clearing of Hamas' tunnel complexes. There may have been nowhere else for Sinwar to go at this late stage. Certainly, his death and the circumstances speak to Israel's success in destroying Hamas. Whatever mumblings have come from politicians about the terrorist government's demise being impossible, the IDF sure has made it possible, and in the current technological age, we are seeing it play out like never before.