Latest news with #YahyaSinwar
India Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Today
Yahya Sinwar's widow fled Gaza with fake passport, remarried in Turkey: Report
Less than a year after Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Israeli strikes, his widow Samar Abu Zamer, who was believed to be hiding with her children and spending days underground, has reportedly remarried in Turkey, a report by Israeli news media outlet claimed on the war in Gaza grinds on and humanitarian conditions worsen, growing resentment is being witnessed among residents towards the Hamas leadership amid reports claiming that families of top commanders quietly escaped the enclave early in the conflict have triggered anger. Many are accusing the ruling elite of abandoning the people while they suffer bombings, displacement, and food the ongoing crisis, Samar Abu Zamer's name is drawing a lot of attention. Once thought to be hiding in tunnels with her children, new claims suggest she left Gaza months ago and has since resettled in Turkey, where she reportedly remarried. According to Israeli outlet Ynet and local sources, Abu Zamer escaped through the Rafah border crossing using forged documents and with the help of a coordinated smuggling operation involving substantial cash and foreign contacts. "She's no longer here. She crossed through the Rafah border using a fake passport," Ynet reported, quoting a escape was reportedly facilitated by Fathi Hammad, a senior member of Hamas's political bureau, who has previously been linked to similar Zamer's remarriage in Turkey has been confirmed by multiple unverified accounts, the report said. Her appearance in earlier footage carrying a Herms Birkin handbag while entering a Hamas tunnel had already sparked public criticism for displaying luxury during wartime Sinwar, who ordered the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, was killed in the strikes carried out by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in October last is also mounting over the whereabouts of Najwa Sinwar, wife of Muhammad Sinwar, Yahya Sinwar's brother and another senior figure killed in Israeli Hamas is yet to comment on the matter, Israeli officials claim Najwa and her children also left Gaza before her husband's death, likely heading to Turkey as well."Their kids go to study in Turkey and Qatar—and ours are sent to the grave," said one young Gaza resident who survived recent bombings. "What makes them different from any corrupt ruler in the Arab world? They only look after themselves".The reports, while not officially confirmed by Hamas, have struck a nerve across Gaza, where over 30,000 civilians have been killed or injured, and basic necessities have become elusive. Residents are increasingly questioning whether their suffering is being shared observers note that Hamas has long maintained a covert smuggling network to help leaders' families flee during conflict. The process reportedly involves forged passports, fake medical records, and coordination with embassies of sympathetic nations. These networks appear to have been activated within days of the conflict's eruption in late notable exception to this trend is Umm Khaled, wife of senior military commander Mohammed Deif. A recent video circulated on social media shows her in a modest home with her three children. "There are four mattresses and a mat in our house. That's how it was before the war, and after," she says. "I'm not fleeing. I'm here with my people".Many residents welcomed the statement, with one man commenting, "At least one of them stayed".Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, has portrayed itself as the face of Palestinian resistance. But the apparent disparity between the living conditions of its leaders' families and those of ordinary Gazans has become a lightning rod for criticism."is whether we're carrying this burden for a cause—or just so Hamas leaders can live in five-star hotels in Doha and Istanbul," said a middle-aged man in Khan Israeli military operations continue and ceasefire negotiations stall, the anger within Gaza is shifting from Israel to Hamas's internal and Hamas have been embroiled in one of the worst military conflicts since October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants launched a brutal attack on Israeli civilians. The attack killed 1,200 Israelis, with several others taken hostage by the tall efforts to reach a truce, peace still eludes the strife-stricken region.- Ends
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar's widow smuggled out of Gaza, remarried in Turkey: Report
Months after Hamas military commander Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces, his widow, Samar Abu Zamer, was smuggled out of Gaza and has reportedly remarried in Turkey. Samar Abu Zamer, widow of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, reportedly fled Gaza and remarried in Turkey. (X-@OKAreporter) Abu Zamer crossed into Egypt via the Rafah border, allegedly using forged documents. The operation was facilitated through high-level coordination, logistical support, and financial resources, and her marriage was arranged by senior Hamas political bureau member Fathi Hammad, Israeli news outlet Ynet reported, citing sources. In January, the Israeli military had released footage showing Abu Zamer and her children entering a Hamas tunnel, which initially led to speculation that she had gone underground. However, local sources later told Ynet she had already left the enclave entirely and was living in Turkey. 'She's no longer here. She crossed through the Rafah border using a fake passport,' the report quoted a source as saying, adding that the escape involved 'high-level coordination, logistical support, and large sums of money that regular Gazans don't have.' Abu Zamer faced criticism last year when she was seen carrying a Hermes Birkin handbag in a Hamas tunnel, a video that circulated widely on social media. According to Ynet report, her subsequent marriage in Turkey took place just months after Sinwar's death. Najwa Sinwar missing after husband Muhammad Sinwar's death Attention has also turned to Najwa Sinwar, wife of Yahya Sinwar's brother, Muhammad Sinwar, who was also killed by Israeli forces. There is no confirmed public record of her whereabouts in recent months. Israeli security officials told Ynet that both women exited Gaza via the Rafah border before their husbands were killed. However, there has been no official confirmation from Hamas regarding the departures. 'They send their children to study in Turkey and Qatar and send ours to the grave,' Ynet quoted a young Gaza resident who survived recent Israeli bombings as saying. 'What makes them different from any corrupt ruler in the Arab world? They only look after themselves,' the resident added. According to regional observers cited by Ynet, Hamas has long maintained a covert network to evacuate leaders' families during conflicts. The system is said to involve forged passports, fake medical records, and cooperation with diplomatic missions of allied nations.
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Ex-Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar's widow remarries in Turkey after escaping Gaza with fake passport
As the Gaza Strip reels under the world's worst humanitarian crisis and continued Israeli airstrikes, families of senior Hamas leaders have quietly left the territory, raising concerns and deepening public resentment. According to a news website which quoted sources, the families of top Hamas officials were smuggled out of the Gaza Strip in the early days of the war, using forged documents, logistical support, and assistance from foreign contacts. Though these accounts remain unverified by official sources, the reports have sparked anger among Gazans living under siege conditions, the news website said. According to the report, Israeli military in January this year had released a video showing Samar Abu Zamer, widow of Hamas military commander Yahya Sinwar, entering a Hamas tunnel with her children. While initial speculation suggested that she had gone underground, local sources later told Israeli news outlet Ynet that Zamer had left Gaza entirely and was living in Turkey. 'She's no longer here – she crossed through the Rafah border using a fake passport,' one source said, noting the operation involved 'high-level coordination, logistical support, and large sums of money that regular Gazans don't have.' Zamer remarried in Turkey a few months after Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces, sources said. The match was reportedly arranged by senior Hamas political bureau member Fathi Hammad, who has been previously linked to efforts aiding the escape of Hamas figures and their families. Abu Zamer faced criticism last year when footage showed her carrying an expensive Hermès Birkin handbag while hiding in a tunnel. Reportedly Najwa Sinwar, wife of Yayha Sinwar's brother, Mohammad Sinwar, also left Gaza with her children before her husband's death, possibly also for Turkey. While there is no public record of her whereabouts in recent months, Israeli security officials confirmed that both women exited Gaza via Rafah crossing before their husbands were killed. The news website also said that according to regional observers, Hamas has long maintained a covert smuggling network to evacuate its leaders' families. The system reportedly involves forged passports, fake medical records, and coordination with embassies of allied nations. Israel said on Sunday it would halt military operations each day for 10 hours in parts of Gaza and allow new aid corridors in the enclave, where images of hungry Palestinians have alarmed the world, Reuters reported. Military activity will stop from 10 am to 8 pm (0700-1700 GMT) until further notice in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City. The military also announced designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place between 6 am and 11 pm starting from Sunday. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in recent weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. A total of 127 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, since the start of the war, the ministry said. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it was sending on Sunday more than 100 trucks carrying over 1,200 metric tons of food aid to southern Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing. Hours earlier, Israel began aid airdrops in what it said was an effort to ease the humanitarian conditions in the enclave. (With inputs from Reuters)
NDTV
3 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Hamas Chief's Widow Fled Gaza With Fake Passport, Remarried In Turkey: Report
Former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar's widow escaped Gaza and has since remarried in Turkey, according to a report by Israeli news outlet Ynet. Samar Muhammad Abu Zamar, who married Sinwar in 2011 and holds a master's degree in theology from the Islamic University of Gaza, was reportedly smuggled out of the Strip along with her children using a forged passport. "She's not here anymore; she's in Turkey with the children," a Gazan source told Ynet. The escape, according to the source, required "logistical support, cooperation at a high level, and a lot of cash that the average Gaza resident doesn't have." She allegedly used the passport of another Gazan woman and left Gaza through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt. She remarried after Yahya Sinwar's death in October last year. The report claims that the remarriage in Turkey was arranged by Fathi Hammad, a senior official in Hamas' political bureau. Hammad has previously been linked to efforts to move Hamas operatives and their families out of the conflict zone. According to Ynet, Hamas had established a system to extract senior members' families during the early months of Israel's war on Gaza, relying on fake documents, fictitious medical records, etc. Najwa, the widow of Yahya Sinwar's brother Mohammed, who briefly took over leadership of the group after Sinwar's death, is also believed to have left Gaza through the same network. She has not been seen since, the report added. An Israeli security source confirmed that both women exited Gaza via Rafah before their husbands were killed. Israeli troops killed Yahya Sinwar on October 16, 2024, during a routine patrol in Rafah's Tal al-Sultan neighbourhood. A drone located him inside a damaged building, injured. In publicly released footage, Sinwar appeared dust-covered and seated in an armchair, throwing a stick at the drone before Israeli fire struck the building. He died from a gunshot to the head and other injuries caused by debris. Israel's war on Gaza has entered its 21st month, and over 59,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. UN agencies and health groups warn Gaza faces famine-like conditions. Since March 2, Israel's blockade has severely limited entry of food, medicine, water, and fuel, accelerating hunger and malnutrition across the Strip. At least 111 people, including infants, have died from hunger in recent weeks; nearly 100,000 women and children suffer severe acute malnutrition. Over 1,060 people have died and over 7,200 injured while attempting to access food in the past two months alone, largely near aid distribution centres. A UN-backed IPC report warns that nearly all of Gaza's 2.1 million residents face acute food insecurity, with around 470,000 enduring catastrophic hunger of the highest level (Phase 5), effectively meaning starvation. Among the worst affected are 71,000 children under the age of five and 17,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women needing urgent care. The WHO says three-quarters of the population suffers extreme food deprivation, while lifesaving aid remains blocked minutes from those starving.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
From tunnel to Turkey: How Hamas leader Sinwar's widow escaped and remarried — what report reveals
Former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar 's widow, Samar Abu Zamer, entered the Hamas tunnel with children, later went to Turkey with a fake passport, according to Ynet. As conditions worsen under Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, reports indicate that families of high-ranking Hamas leaders have departed the territory, sparking local discontent. Ynet suggest that prominent Hamas officials' families were evacuated from Gaza early in the conflict, utilising falsified documentation and external support networks. These unconfirmed accounts have generated resentment amongst besieged residents. The Israeli military released evidence in January showing Samar Abu Zamer, Yahya Sinwar's widow, entering a Hamas tunnel with her children. Sources later informed Ynet that she had relocated to Turkey using false documentation. "She's no longer here—she crossed through the Rafah border using a fake passport," one source revealed, citing sophisticated coordination unavailable to ordinary citizens. Reports indicate Abu Zamer remarried again in Turkey following Sinwar's death, arranged by Hamas official Fathi Hammad. She previously faced criticism for carrying a luxury Hermès Birkin handbag whilst in tunnels. Questions surround Najwa Sinwar, widow of Muhammad Sinwar, with sources suggesting she departed Gaza with her children before her husband's death. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Why are some Chinese youth calling themselves 'rat people', and what issues does it surface? CNA Read More Undo Israeli officials confirmed both women's exit via Rafah crossing. A Gaza resident who survived recent attacks expressed frustration: "They send their children to study in Turkey and Qatar—and send ours to the grave." Analysts note Hamas maintains established networks for evacuating leaders' families, using forged documents and diplomatic connections. One notable exception is Umm Khaled, wife of Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, who appeared in recent footage at home with her children, stating: "There are four mattresses and a mat in our house. That's how it was before the war, and after. I'm not fleeing. I'm here with my people." As humanitarian conditions deteriorate, residents increasingly scrutinise their leadership's commitment. "Did we carry the burden for the sake of resistance," questioned one local, "or just so Hamas leaders can live in five-star hotels in Doha and Istanbul?"
