Hunting Hamas Elite: Israel Offers IDR 6 Billion for Information on Yahya Sinwar and IDR 1.5 Billion for Al-Qassam Brigade Commander

Lebaran hadiah hadiah uang untuk informasi mengenai keberadaan elite Hamas. (Twitter/@gaza_report)

JAKARTA - The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has promised varying amounts of money to those who can provide information regarding the whereabouts of a number of elite Palestinian militant groups Hamas.

In brochures distributed throughout the Gaza Strip on Thursday, the IDF promised large sums of money, ranging from IDR 6 billion to IDR 1 billion, to anyone who could provide information on the location of the hiding places of senior Hamas leaders in Gaza.

In the leaflet the IDF offered a reward of 400,000 US dollars (Rp. 6,192,780,000) for information about the leader of Hamas in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. Meanwhile, for his brother Muhammad Sinwar, the IDF offered 300,000 US dollars.

A lower reward, worth 200,000 US dollars (Rp. 3,095,230,000), will be awarded by the IDF to those who provide information about the location of Rafa Salama, commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade. Meanwhile, for the Al-Qassam Brigade Commander, Mohammed Deif, the army will provide 100,000 US dollars (Rp. 1,547,615,000).

"Confidentiality is guaranteed," wrote the IDF in the brochure, complete with contact numbers, quoted from The Jerusalem Post, December 15.

Last week, Israeli sources told the KAN news agency Saturday that Yahya Sinwar left Gaza City in northern Gaza for Khan Yunis in southern Gaza in a humanitarian convoy, soon after the war started.

Several weeks earlier, KAN reported that Sinwar and Deif were believed to be hiding in Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. That led the IDF to step up its operations in Khan Yunis.

The IDF said Hamas members who surrendered in Shejaia and Jabalya at the weekend said Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, were "denying reality" despite having received up-to-date information about the situation on the ground.

"They complain that the Hamas leadership is disconnected from the serious situation they are experiencing on the ground," said IDF spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.

"There is also a widespread feeling that Hamas's underground leadership does not care about the people of Gaza. This is also very worrying about Hamas' military operations," Hagari claimed.