Photo: MAHMUD HAMS / AFP / Getty Images
The Israeli military said that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, was killed during operations in the Gaza Strip. According to a statement released by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), Sinwar was one of three terrorists who were eliminated. The IDF also stated that there were no signs of hostages in the area where the terrorists were eliminated. The forces operating in the area are continuing to operate with caution.
Sinwar, who was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza, is considered the mastermind behind the October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. He is known for his deep understanding of Israel's military and politics, having spent over 20 years in Israeli prison. He is believed to have been the driving force behind Hamas's strategy in recent years, which involved lulling Israel into thinking the group had been deterred from fighting before launching surprise attacks.
Sinwar has been in hiding throughout the war and has long shunned electronic communication, relying on a network of couriers to communicate with the outside world from Hamas’s vast network of tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip.
The Guardian reports that several security officials, speaking anonymously, told Israeli media that the bodies had been taken to Israel for DNA tests.