Although Hamas has not formally acknowledged the departure, Israeli sources assert that Samar Abu Zamer left Gaza through Rafah prior to her husband’s murder.
Reports from various sources say that the widow of slain Hamas military commander Yahya Sinwar, Samar Abu Zamar, escaped the Gaza Strip during the ongoing war and has since settled in Turkey. Using a fake passport and with the help of senior Hamas figures, including Fathi Hammad, she traversed the Rafah border with her two children, allegedly taking with her a large amount of cash.
“She’s not here anymore. The newspaper cited a source who stated that the escape required “high-level coordination, logistical support, and large sums of money that regular Gazans don’t have.” “She crossed through the Rafah border using a fake passport,” the source said.
In January, a video showed her entering a tunnel with her children; at the time, it was presumed to be a shelter but was later exposed as the exit point from Gaza. Sources maintain that she fled soon after the outset of fighting in Israel’s military campaign when the IDF advanced into Gaza after Hamas’s October 7 attacks. The escape has generated criticism and resentment from many Palestinians who remain in strife-torn Gaza without resources or means of escape.
Champions Miss an Own Goal of Remarriage in Turkey
Reportedly, not long after relocating, Samar agreed to remarry while under protection in Turkey. It was kept secret who her new spouse was; the incident, however, has incited outrage both on social media and within Gaza itself. Many civilians still suffering under the humanitarian crisis have expressed their anger at what they consider hypocrisy from Hamas leadership, accusing them of abandoning the people while ensuring their own families’ safety and comfort abroad.
Tensions are heightened by the contrast between Samar living a secured life in Turkey and Gaza ravaged by chaos and conflict, further accusing this as another case of Hamas’s internal elite shielding themselves from the very consequences that their actions have reaped upon others.
Hamas Leadership Under Scrutiny
Other reports indicate that Najwa Sinwar, wife of Yahya’s brother, is not the only family member to have found her way out of Gaza through equally secretive means. As more stories of this nature appear, the perception that the leadership of Hamas has exploited the situation in order to ensure their personal safety enhances.
This is taking place at a time of grave hardship-presently defined by shortages of medicine, food, and shelter, amid continuing violence-in Gaza. For many, the road to liberation out of Gaza for Samar Abu Zamar, followed by a quick remarry in safe haven abroad, becomes a growing barrier in front of Hamas leaders from the very people they profess to represent. The ramifications of this story will very likely bring increasing debate and scrutiny within Palestinian territories and beyond.
In order to evacuate leaders’ families during wars, Hamas has long maintained a clandestine network, according to regional observers quoted by Ynet. False medical records, faked passports, and collaboration with partner countries’ diplomatic offices are allegedly all part of the scheme.
