Israel sought to try to restore its image after the accidental killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli army gunfire.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari did not succeed, in a press conference, in providing an explanation for the failure of Israeli intelligence to reach Sinwar despite the relentless pursuit over an entire year.

He said, "On several occasions, our forces were very close to him and reached the places where he was staying shortly before he was able to escape."

He added, "According to our intelligence information, Al-Sinwar was hiding most of the time underground in the area between Khan Yunis and Rafah, and he only came out to escape, accompanied by bodyguards and with documents, certificates, weapons, and money that he had in his possession."

Haghari did not indicate that Sinwar's killing was the result of intelligence information or a planned operation by the Israeli army.

He said: “Last Wednesday, the force of the combat team from the Infantry School Brigade operating in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood was able to identify three gunmen who tried to clash, and they returned fire and wounded the gunmen, who began to flee and split into two adjacent buildings.”

In conclusion, the soldiers later discovered that the gunman who took refuge in the building and was killed there was Sinwar.

He said: “The activity of the Israeli army and Shin Bet forces in Khan Yunis led to Al-Sinwar fleeing to Rafah, to an underground area in the Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood.”

Haghari showed a video clip inside a Hamas tunnel in Gaza that the Israeli army was able to seize after the war.

According to Hagari, Al-Sinwar used a tunnel to leave the area where he lived with his family members after the attack on October 7 last year.

He said, "Among other things, these videos prompted the Israeli army and the Shin Bet to narrow the scope of the hunt for Sinwar. We chased him and made him drive the car as a wanted fugitive. Sinwar built an underground castle in his hometown of Khan Yunis, where he hid and from there he continued to order the attack." ".

He added, “In February, the Israeli army and Shin Bet forces entered Khan Yunis, and there we identified the road, where the Sinwar remained underground. We found there a long-stay compound, toilets and bathrooms, a kitchen with food, beds, uniforms, lockers, and a lot of things.” Money, documents, and other intelligence information.”