Israel Confirms Killing Of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar
Israel’s Defense Forces says it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a year and 10 days after the October 7 attack he masterminded.
In a statement jointly issued with Shin Bet, the IDF said that Sinwar had been killed Wednesday night, crediting its Bislamach Brigade for killing him and two other militants. The IDF described it as the culmination of its operations over recent weeks in southern Gaza, corralling Sinwar before finally killing him. In an earlier statement, it said that there were no signs of hostages in the building he had been found in.
The IDF-run Israeli Army Radio reported that an Israeli tank fired upon “suspicious movement” in the upper floors of a building in Rafah, only for a drone scanning the rubble Thursday morning to discover Sinwar’s dead body.
Confirmation of Sinwar’s death came after photographs of what appeared to be his remains began circulating on social media earlier on Thursday, driving speculation that the similarity to Sinwar’s appearance meant that the IDF had finally found and killed him.
Israel’s Channel 12 has since broadcast footage recorded by an IDF drone of Sinwar’s last moments, with an injured, dust-covered Sinwar seen attempting to throw a piece of wood at the drone.
In a recorded speech released following the confirmation of Sinwar’s death, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said Sinwar’s death was “the beginning of the day after Hamas”. Netanyahu said that those still holding Israeli hostages in Gaza would be spared if they lay down their arms and release the hostages, but promised a “reckoning” for anyone who hurt a hostage.
A readout of a phone call between Netanyahu and President of the United States Joe Biden release by the Israeli prime minister’s office says Biden congratulated Netanyahu on Sinwar’s killing and praised the IDF for their work, with both leaders agreeing that there is now an opportunity to work towards a deal to release the 101 hostages still missing.
Earlier, Biden had issued a statement describing Sinwar’s killing as “a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world”. “There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Yahya Sinwar was an insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals. That obstacle no longer exists. But much work remains before us.”