Officials deny Saudi report that Israel believes Hamas leader Sinwar fled to Egypt via Rafah tunnels

Israeli officials deny a report by the Saudi news site Elaph that Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7 onslaught, has fled to Egypt via tunnels from the Strip.

“We do not know the information that was published,” the unnamed officials say.

The denial is issued to Channel 12 after a security source told Elaph that the Israeli defense establishment estimates that the leadership of the terror group, including Sinwar and his brother Muhammed, recently escaped to Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula via tunnels from Rafah.

The source added that there is concern that the terrorists may have taken hostages with them to use as a shield.

The report only cites one source for the information.

Last week the IDF released footage of what it said was Yahya Sinwar walking through a Gaza tunnel with several of his family members on October 10.

“The hunt for Sinwar will not stop until we catch him, dead or alive,” IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari said in a press conference upon releasing the footage.

Security forces have yet to get their hands on Sinwar, or Hamas’s military commander Mohammad Deif and his deputy Marwan Issa.