The $32,000 Handbag of the Hamas Leader's Wife Fleeing Through a Tunnel

The Israeli army has launched a campaign against the heroic image of the Hamas leader, Yahia Sinwar, who was killed on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip. One of the arguments used is the Birkin handbag, from the French brand Hermès, worn by his wife, Samar Abu Zamar, while fleeing through one of the thousands of tunnels dug by the Palestinians. Alongside the video, made public by the military this weekend, military spokesmen explain the objects found in underground shelters inaccessible to the population: mattresses, televisions, bathrooms, safes, cash, food, or water.

The recording corresponds to the night of October 6 to 7, 2023, a few hours before Hamas men carried out the massacre of about 1,200 people in Israeli territory, masterminded by Sinwar, according to the Jewish state's authorities.

The Birkin is valued at $32,000, as explained in Arabic by the Israeli armed forces spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee. "Although the inhabitants of Gaza do not have money to buy food, we see many examples of the special love that Yahya Sinwar and his wife feel for money," Adraee posted on Twitter. "Did Sinwar's wife enter the tunnel with him on October 6 carrying a Birkin handbag valued at about $32,000?" he writes.

Previously, Admiral Daniel Hagari had already released images of the Hamas leader fleeing with his family. "For hours, they go up and down, stocking up on food, a television, and other products for a long stay. He only cared about his personal survival."

The army intends to counter the dominant opinion among Palestinians with this video. Many of them have found a reason to mythologize him by seeing photos of Sinwar's corpse and the video images in which he tried to confront the military, despite being injured.