(A7) A former US Army officer has confirmed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is protecting himself and his family by using Israeli hostages as human shields.
Speaking to Sky News, former US Army Vice Chief of Staff General Jack Keane quoted sources as saying that Sinwar has a significant number of hostages – even as many as 20 – surrounding both himself and his family.
“My sources tell me that Sinwar, who is the number one leader in Gaza of the Hamas organization, has 15-20 hostages protecting him and his family,” Keane told the news outlet.
He added, “That’s why they have these hostages to guarantee their survival.”
Related articles:
Prisoner swap agreement doesn’t include IDF withdrawal from Gaza
Egyptian proposal is the best presented so far
We will enter Rafah – with or without a deal
Hamas response to prisoner swap deal expected Wednesday evening
In light of this, Keane stressed that, “Israel is absolutely right in putting military pressure on them to force the release of the hostages.”
This is not the first time such a report has surfaced: In February, the Washington Post reported that the IDF is confident that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is still hiding in the tunnels beneath Khan Yunis, and is “surrounded by a human shield of hostages intended to deter an operation to capture or kill him.”
If the report is true, it would shed light on Hamas’ refusal to release 40 hostages, and insistence on releasing between 20-33 hostages only. Previously, Hamas claimed that it could not locate the number of hostages Israel is demanding, and that it would require a ceasefire of several weeks in order to locate them.
