US paused Israel weapons shipment due to Rafah: US defense secretary

The leader of Hamas's political wing in Gaza and one of Israel's most wanted men, Yahya Sinwar, is not in Rafah, two officials said as Israel moved ahead with its ground offensive in Gaza's southernmost city. Two officials, citing intelligence inputs, told The Times of Israel that the Hamas leader was hiding in underground tunnels in the Khan Younis area, around five miles north of Rafah. Another official from Israel said Sinwar was still in Gaza. In March, it was reported that close relatives of Yahya Sinwar crossed over to Egypt through the Rafah crossing. Several other top Hamas leaders have also managed to move their relatives and family out of Gaza into safe zones in Egypt. Israel has called Yahya Sinwar the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, raid into southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed, and more than 200 others kidnapped. #Israel #Hamas #YahyaSinwar #Rafah #Gaza #IsraeliIntel #GroundOffensive #Tunnels #KhanYounis #Mastermind #October7Raid #IsraelHamasWar #Security #Conflict #MiddleEast ~PR.152~ED.155~GR.121~HT.96~