Hamas faces 'unprecedented battle' against Israel, says Sinwar

Yahya Sinwar has not appeared in public since the October 7 attacks. Photo: NURPHOTO

Hamas faces an “unprecedented battle” with Israel, the leader of the Gaza Strip terror group said in his first public address since the October 7 attacks.

Yahya Sinwar, believed to be one of masterminds of the devastating terrorist attack on Israel. , rejected any opportunity to compromise to end the war.

Hamas, he said in a letter published by Al Jazeera on Monday, is “waging a brutal, brutal and unprecedented battle against the Israeli occupation forces and the Occupation Army suffered heavy losses in manpower and equipment.”

He falsely claimed that his terrorist forces had killed more than a thousand Israeli soldiers. According to Israel, 156 soldiers were killed during the ground operation in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Iran accused Israel of carrying out an airstrike on the outskirts of Damascus in Syria, which killed a senior commander of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (IRGC).

The IRGC has vowed to avenge the death of Seyed Razi Mousavi, one of its top commanders in Syria who was close to General Qasem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guard leader killed in a US drone strike in Iraq in 2020 year.

Israel will «pay a price» for killing one of our longtime military advisers in Syria, the group said.

Possible deal

Sinwar, the highest-ranking Hamas official still holed up in the Gaza Strip, was defiant regarding Israel's offensive through Gaza. He vowed to defeat Israeli forces and vowed that Hamas «will not be subject to the conditions of occupation.»

He appeared to be referring to ongoing discussions over a potential deal with Israel.

Egypt has reportedly developed a comprehensive plan that calls for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the release of all Israeli hostages and negotiations to establish an inclusive Palestinian government in the Gaza Strip under Egyptian auspices.

Hamas has not officially commented on the proposal. which was to be discussed by the Israeli government on Monday evening.

Since war broke out following a Hamas attack on October 7, Israel has vowed to root out the terrorist group in Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have said in recent weeks that they are close to capturing Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in the vast terrorist group's network of tunnels.

«We will not stop»

The Hamas leader has not been seen in public since the Oct. 7 attack, and the IDF dropped leaflets earlier this month. about Gaza, promising a $400,000 (£315,000) reward for information on his whereabouts.

Yoav Gallant, Israel's defense minister, said on Friday that the IDF was gradually fulfilling its objectives in northern Gaza. adding that Sinwar will soon “meet at the point of our guns.”

Benyamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, visited the Gaza Strip on Monday and vowed to step up the army's offensive in the Palestinian territory.

“ I just returned from the Gaza Strip… we are not stopping, we are continuing to fight and will intensify the fighting in the coming days. This will be a long war, which is not yet close to ending,” he said.