Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in his first public statement since the October 7 terror attacks on Israeli civilians, expressed defiance and inflated the achievements of his terror group in the war.
Sinwar claimed that Hamas was engaged in a "fierce, violent, and unprecedented battle" against Israel, and delusionally asserted that they were on the verge of crushing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
According to The Times of Israel, Sinwar falsely stated that the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, had "targeted" over 5,000 Israeli soldiers and officers, killing approximately one-third of them, which would amount to over 1,500 casualties. However, the actual number of IDF deaths is significantly lower, with the IDF reporting that 156 soldiers have been killed in the ground operation in Gaza. Additionally, over 300 members of the security forces were killed in Hamas's initial onslaught on October 7.
Sinwar also exaggerated the number of Israeli soldiers injured in the war and the amount of Israeli military equipment destroyed. He claimed that around 3,500 troops were seriously wounded or disabled, while the IDF puts the figure at less than 200.
Al-Jazeera, the news outlet that initially published Sinwar's message to the head and members of Hamas' political bureau, eventually removed some of his outlandish claims.
It is important to note that Sinwar remains Israel's most wanted individual for his involvement in the October 7 attack.
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