The Real Face of Hamas: Photos Show Leaders Feasting in Tunnels While Civilians Starve

The IDF has released new images revealing how senior Hamas officials dined on lavish meals in their underground bunkers while the Gazan population suffered from food shortages. The photos were captured from a command center located beneath the European Hospital in Rafah and were released by IDF spokesperson Avichay Adraee.

The underground command center was uncovered following a military operation in May that resulted in the elimination of Rafah Brigade commander Mohammed Shabana and senior Hamas figure Mohammed Sinwar. The photos show Shabana and other top officials, including Mahdi Khuara, gathered around an opulent Iftar meal during Ramadan in March. The table is laden with large platters of meat, rice, vegetables, and desserts, a stark contrast to the conditions of ordinary Gazans who were struggling to find food to break their fast.

Adraee's statement highlighted the hypocrisy, saying, "With one hand, Hamas runs a propaganda campaign about starvation in the Strip, while with the other it plunders food to feed its leaders and their families." Additional photos from the past year further illustrate this disparity, showing a large quantity and variety of food supplies provided to Shabana's family throughout the war, even as humanitarian agencies were reporting severe shortages of basic goods for civilians.

Israeli officials say the images provide concrete evidence of Hamas's exploitation of the Gazan people's suffering. The findings illustrate a pattern where Hamas uses its extensive tunnel network not only for military operations but also as a way to provide its senior leadership with a comfortable and secure refuge, often hidden beneath civilian infrastructure like hospitals. The revelations serve to expose Hamas's propaganda machine, which broadcasts images of famine and desperation to the world while its leaders live and eat in relative luxury underground.