Captured Hamas Document Shows Sinwar Feared Israeli Nuclear Response

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar believed Israel might respond to a Hamas invasion by using nuclear weapons against Gaza, according to a document he wrote on Aug. 24, 2022, Yonah Jeremy Bob reported for the Jerusalem Post.

An Israeli nuclear-capable submarine as a newly disclosed Hamas document outlined Yahya Sinwar's assessment of Israel's potential military response. (Photo: Israeli Navy and IDF Spokesman: Shay Wagner)

According to the document, despite believing that an Israeli nuclear response was a genuine possibility, Sinwar "did not abandon his messianic vision and emphasized that it would be a 'battle of life or death.'"

The document was released by the Amit Terrorism and Intelligence Research Institute as part of an ongoing series of Hamas documents reportedly captured by the Israel Defense Forces during military operations in Gaza.

Earlier documents released by the institute and the IDF in October 2025 and earlier were also authored by Sinwar and addressed similar strategic issues.

One document, written on the same day, warned that Hamas would have only six to 10 hours to maximize the surprise element of an invasion before Israel could mount an effective counteroffensive.