'I want to shoot Jews': IDF publishes letter written by Yahya Sinwar's 10-year-old son

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The IDF published a letter on Thursday written by Yahya Sinwar's son Ibrahim at the start of the war, when he was just 10 years old. The letter was seized in 2024 by IDF troops in the Gaza Strip. IDF targets Sinwar successor: Op. with helicopters, tanks targets Ali al-Amoudi in Gaza Strip In the letter to his father, Ibrahim expresses how much he misses him, mentioning that in his spare time he "makes pistols, tanks, and Kalashnikovs out of paper and cardboard," and declares his desire "to hold a Kalashnikov and shoot Jews."

Attached to the letter are drawings made by Ibrahim depicting weapons, tanks near the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, and missiles being launched toward Israel. The IDF said, "The letter and drawings illustrate how Sinwar's murderous ideology is reflected in the upbringing of his children, revealing the impact of Hamas' values of hatred and violence on the younger generation in the Gaza Strip." The translation of the letter: " I, Ibrahim.

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Beloved father, I miss you very much! I want to hug you and see you victorious, and I want to proclaim 'Allah is the greatest,' hold a Kalashnikov, and shoot Jews. When will you come back and sleep with your arms around me? I am constantly making pistols, tanks, and Kalashnikovs out of paper and cardboard. My Lord, I wish the war would end and that I see you well. May Allah protect you, father.

I want you to pray for me. Peace be upon you, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. " Yahya Sinwar was killed on October 16, 2024. Soon after, his wife and children fled to Turkey using fake passports. Suggested articles ‘Coal Eyes’ source describes Sinwar’s pre–October 7 threat as Likud rejects warning claims | i24NEWS Reports: Israel targets senior Hamas leader Ali al-Amoudi in Gaza | i24NEWS How Sinwar's secret message before October 7 was misread by Israeli intelligence - report | i24NEWS

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What we found (3)

i24News states as fact, with no source, that Sinwar's wife and children fled to Turkey on fake passports soon after his death. Other outlets attribute this to unnamed sources and intelligence reports, and the Telegraph dates the widow's escape to the early months of the war. i24News also says in its own voice that the boy wrote the letter and that troops seized it in Gaza, both resting on the Israeli army's word, and it writes Sinwar's killing in the passive, leaving out the Israeli soldiers who killed him in Rafah.

States one side's claim as fact
Serious
“Soon after, his wife and children fled to Turkey using fake passports.”
Why this matters
i24News states as fact, with no source, that Sinwar's wife and children fled to Turkey on fake passports, and dates it to "soon after" his death.
The impression it gives
That the family's escape on forged papers after Sinwar's death is confirmed fact.
The context
Other outlets attribute this to unnamed sources and intelligence reports. The Telegraph's account says the widow used a fake passport in the early months of the war to cross into Egypt, which is not "soon after" October 2024. It says only that the boy is understood to live in Turkey.
How we know
- The Telegraph reported“used a fake passport during the early months of the conflict to cross the Rafah border into Egypt”The chilling letters Yahya Sinwar’s son, 10, sent his father (opens in a new tab)
- Times of Israel reported“unnamed sources claimed to Ynet”In letter said written by Sinwar’s son, 10-year-old expresses desire to ‘shoot Jews’ (opens in a new tab)
- The Telegraph reported“is understood to have escaped the Gaza Strip and now lives in Turkey”The chilling letters Yahya Sinwar’s son, 10, sent his father (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article
Written straight
Intelligence reports and unnamed sources have claimed that Sinwar's widow left Gaza on a fake passport, and his son Ibrahim is understood to live in Turkey.
States one side's claim as fact
Minor
“letter written by Yahya Sinwar's 10-year-old son”
Why this matters
The headline says flatly that the letter was "written by Yahya Sinwar's 10-year-old son", with no attribution to the Israeli army, which is the only source for who wrote it.
The impression it gives
That the boy's authorship of the letter is an established fact the outlet has confirmed.
The context
The authorship rests on the Israeli army's word alone. The Times of Israel reports the same release as a letter the army said was written by the son.
How we know
- Times of Israel reported“published a letter it said was written by”In letter said written by Sinwar’s son, 10-year-old expresses desire to ‘shoot Jews’ (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article
“The letter was seized in 2024 by IDF troops in the Gaza Strip.”
Why this matters
i24News gives the story of where and how the letter was found as plain fact in its own voice.
The impression it gives
That the letter's origin in Gaza in 2024 is independently known.
The context
This is the Israeli occupation forces' own account of the document. The Times of Israel attributes it: the army said the letter had been recovered.
How we know
- Times of Israel reported“The army said the letter had been recovered by soldiers operating in the Strip in 2024.”In letter said written by Sinwar’s son, 10-year-old expresses desire to ‘shoot Jews’ (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article
Hides who did it
Minor
“Yahya Sinwar was killed on October 16, 2024”
Why this matters
The passive "was killed" removes who killed Sinwar and where.
The impression it gives
Nothing about who carried out the killing or where it happened.
The context
The Jerusalem Post reports that Israeli soldiers killed him in Rafah. The article never names the actor or the place.
How we know
- The Jerusalem Post reported“was killed by Israeli soldiers in Rafah two years ago”'Shoot the Jews': Two years after Sinwar's death, IDF releases letter from Sinwar's 10-year-old son (opens in a new tab)
Show it in the article

'I want to shoot Jews': IDF publishes letter written by Yahya Sinwar's 10-year-old son

States one side's claim as fact

States one side's claim as fact

Hides who did it

How other outlets reported it

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