In October 2024, screenshots from a video of a Hamas leader with his wife and children hiding in an underground tunnel went viral on the Internet. Users spotted an elite bag in the hands of Sinvar’s wife. We have verified the accuracy of such messages.
On October 20, a video circulated showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and his family walking through a tunnel-like room. Internet users drew attention to the bag that Sinvar's wife was carrying in her hands - they identified the accessory as a Birkin bag from the Hermès brand for $32,000. Similar messages appeared in Telegram channels Nexta Live (234,000 views at the time of writing this analysis), Kotsnews (102,000), "Israeli workdays"(62,000), "Ukraine | Noviny"(51,000). They also wrote about Sinvar’s wife’s expensive bag Lenta.ru, "Arguments and facts", "News", News.ru and other media.
October 17 Israel stated about the murder of Sinwar in the Gaza Strip, the next day it confirmed and Hamas representatives. Sinwar is believed to be the mastermind of the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which gunmen killed about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners and took more than 250 hostages to the Gaza Strip. Although the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had been constantly searching for the Hamas leader since then, he died as a result chance meeting with a patrol. National Center for Forensic Medicine of Israel reportedthat the cause of Sinwar’s death was a shot in the head, the approximate time of death was the evening of October 16.
Video showing Sinwar and his relatives hiding in tunnels under the Gaza Strip for the first time published in verified accounts and on the official website IDF on the night of October 19-20. In a four-minute video, Israeli army spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari says that the video featuring the Hamas leader was filmed several hours before last year's attack on Israel - which is when, according to an IDF spokesman, Sinwar gave the order to launch the attack. In the video, the organizer of that attack and his relatives are carrying pillows, blankets, food and a TV. The video then shows a room where Sinwar and his family were supposedly living, and Hagari says that throughout the war that Sinwar “started,” he continued to hide behind the Palestinians “and lived in luxurious conditions that Gazans do not have access to because Sinwar always prioritized himself, his money and Hamas terrorists over the people of Gaza.” The speaker of the Israeli army does not directly name the Birkin bag or other luxury items.
On October 19 at 23:34 Moscow time, IDF representative for Arabic-language media Avichai Adrai posted on the social network X fast, which said: “Sinwar’s wife entered the tunnel with him on October 6th, carrying a Birkin bag estimated to be worth approximately $32,000?! The comments are yours. While Gazans do not have money for a tent or basic necessities, we see many examples of Yahya Sinwar and his wife’s special love for money.” Attached to the publication was a screenshot from a video published by the Israeli military and a screenshot online store, where a Birkin bag was resold for the stated amount. Although Adrai only wondered about the origin of the accessory, his post received 1.8 million views.
If you look at the bag in the IDF video in detail, you will notice significant differences from the bag shown in the screenshot in Adrai's tweet. Sinwar's wife has a rectangular bag with silver-colored fittings, with two metal plates sewn to the straps. At the same time, Birkin (in the screenshot model 40 Black Togo Gold Hardware) golden fittings and not such an elongated shape.
Distinctive feature Birkin bags have straps with saddle-shaped edges. They are not equipped with fittings, and metal buckles are visible in this place on Sinvar’s wife’s bag.
It is difficult to reliably determine which brand’s products are shown in the IDF video due to the low quality of the video. A photo search showed that Sinvar's wife's bag is similar, for example, to an accessory from the Kaidifeinroo brand - the shape, size and color of the fittings, the location and method of attaching the handles are the same. This bag is Kaidifeinroo for sale on the Alibaba marketplace for $14.82.
Other similar a bag on the Alibaba marketplace costs $10.4.
Even if Sinwar's wife really carried a Birkin in her hands, it cannot be said with certainty that this is an original bag worth $32,000. Birkin bags it is forbidden buy online, Hermès also does not disclose their prices - it varies depending on the size, material and color. To purchase an accessory, the buyer must pass an internal Hermès check, purchase goods for a certain amount in a specific boutique and add your name to the waiting list. At the very least, it is unlikely that the wife of one of the leaders of an organization recognized as terrorist in the EU and the USA could undergo such a procedure (especially considering that Sinvar hid his whereabouts for many years). However, she could use the services of dealers who resell rare Hermès bags - models like the one shown in Adrai's tweet are priced at $16,000 to $32,000.
Information that Sinvar’s wife owns a bag worth $32,000 was published on social networks by several Israeli government agencies: such a post exists, for example, on official page Israel in X, tweet about the bag reposted the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Israeli media also published notes on this topic, for example The Jerusalem Post And Israel Hayom. The authors of all these publications refer to Adrai and repeat his words that Sinwar led a luxurious life while the residents of Gazan did not have enough money to meet basic needs. However, they ignore the fact that the Arabic-speaking IDF spokesman in his tweet left open the question of whether the Birkin bag was actually shown in the video.
Thus, there is no evidence that Sinwar's wife owns a $32,000 Birkin bag. The bag depicted in the IDF video is noticeably different from products produced under the brand. The first to suggest that the wife of the Hamas leader was wearing an exclusive accessory was made by one of the official representatives of the Israeli army, but subsequently his post began to spread in the form of a statement.
Cover photo: screenshot
- "BBC Russian Service". Yahya Sinwar died almost by accident. What is known about the circumstances of the death of the head of Hamas
- The New York Times. Luxury Fashion as Political Propaganda
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- Is it true that Forbes magazine published a cover dedicated to one of the Hamas leaders?
- Is it true that the photo shows the son of the Prime Minister of Israel, vacationing in Miami instead of serving in the army?
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