TEL AVIV, December 6. /TASS/. Israeli troops have surrounded the home of the leader of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, during their operation in the Gaza Strip, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

"Last night I said that our forces could go anywhere in the Gaza Strip. They are currently surrounding Sinwar’s house. His home is not his castle, and he can flee, but it is only a matter of time until we find him," Netanyahu said in a short video, released by his office.

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, when many Israelis living in the settlements near the border were killed and over 200 people, including children, women and the elderly, were taken hostage. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.