Israel confirms death of Hamas leader behind October 7 attack

“Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the October 7 massacre and atrocities, was killed today by IDF soldiers.” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz confirmed this on Thursday evening. Sinwar is said to have been killed in an attack that the Israeli army carried out on the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday and Thursday. It was reportedly a targeted ground operation targeting three “Hamas terrorists”.

According to the newspaper The Times of Israel However, Sinwar was “accidentally” killed during the operation. According to the newspaper, the troops were not aware that Sinwar was at that location. “When the soldiers entered the building, they realized that one of the dead terrorists ‘looked very similar’ to Sinwar,” it said.

As a result, there was immediately a lot of speculation about the identity of the terrorists. Israeli soldiers took the three bodies after the attack to identify them. Ultimately, they were able to confirm Sinwar’s death through DNA evidence and dental records. Israel had that information available because the man was in an Israeli prison for more than twenty years. Twelve years ago, Sinwar was released as part of a prisoner exchange.

New leader

Yahya Sinwar’s death is of enormous value to Israel. He was the main architect of the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. That Hamas attack left almost 1,200 dead and more than 250 people captured. 101 of them are still being held hostage by Hamas. The attack was ultimately the starting point of the war between Israel and Hamas and has since unleashed further unrest in the Middle East.

Sinwar had been at the top of Israel’s Most Wanted list since the attack, but had disappeared. He was probably hiding in the large tunnel complex that Hamas built over the years in the Gaza Strip. The man was appointed leader of Hamas in August after the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.

“Milestone”

Hamas has not yet commented on Sinwar’s death. There was extensive communication on the Israeli side. Foreign Minister Katz called it “a major military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world.” Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Sinwar’s “evil efforts” aimed at “terror, bloodshed and destabilizing the Middle East.”

While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke of an “important milestone in the decline of the evil rule of Hamas”. But he also emphasized that it is not over yet. He addressed the hostages’ families and said it was an “important moment in the war.” “We will continue at full speed until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are back home.”