this israeli military pronounced dead Yahya Sinwarleader Hamas and the mastermind behind Attack on October 7 About Israel. Sinwar was killed in an unexpected firefight in Rafah, southern Gaza, in a major setback for Palestinian armed groups that have been waging a war with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip. Gaza Been stripping and stripping for over a year.
Here’s what we know about the killing of one of Israel’s most wanted men.
How Sinwar was discovered and killed
As Israeli soldiers from the 828th Brigade (Bisrah) passed through Rafah on a routine patrol on Wednesday, they unexpectedly encountered three Palestinian militants. The patrol had received no prior intelligence that Sinwar was in the area. Israeli military spokesman Major General Daniel Hagari explained that Sinwar had been hiding in a location that the Israeli army had been searching for for a long time.
“Our troops found three terrorists who were fleeing from house to house,” Hagari told a news conference on Thursday. Sinwar broke away from two other militants as soldiers chased them. According to Israeli media reports, a tank opened fire on the building where the two militants were hiding, while Sinwar sought shelter in another house.
The Israeli army later deployed a drone to scan the area, capturing footage of Sinwar sitting alone in a destroyed house, his head covered with a traditional scarf and one of his hands severely injured. In desperation, he threw a stick at the approaching drone. “We identified him as a terrorist inside the building and fired into the building. After entering and scanning the area, we found him with a gun and 40,000 shekels ($10,750),” Hagari added.
Forensic confirmation
Unconfirmed images circulating online show Israeli soldiers standing around a body similar to Sinwar’s, which was dismembered and surrounded by rubble. The man appeared to have suffered a serious head injury and was wearing a thick watch. The Israeli army immediately conducted DNA testing, dental examinations and other forensic procedures to confirm Sinwar’s identity.
Sinwar’s body was transferred to a laboratory in Tel Aviv where further forensic tests confirmed his identity. Israeli media reported that he was in “good” health despite spending a lot of time in Gaza’s underground tunnels.
No hostages present
Sinwar has not been seen in public since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked ongoing clashes. Israeli authorities believe he is hiding in a network of tunnels beneath Gaza, often releasing CCTV footage showing a man, believed to be Sinwar, emerging from the tunnels.
There were reports that Sinwar had been protecting himself with hostages captured in the Oct. 7 attack, but military officials confirmed that no hostages were found when Sinwar was cornered and killed. “There were no signs of hostages in the area where the terrorists were eliminated,” the military statement said.
What happens next?
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Sinwar’s death as a critical moment in the conflict, saying it was “the beginning of the end” for Hamas. Defense Minister Yoav Galante echoed those sentiments and pledged that Israel would continue to hunt down and neutralize terrorists while working to bring back hostages still being held in Gaza.
However, the families of the hostages expressed concern about the fate of their loved ones. At a rally in Tel Aviv hours after Sinwar’s death was announced, Sisir, a 60-year-old woman, called for a deal to secure the release of the remaining captives. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to end the war through hostage trading,” she said.
Hamas has not confirmed Sinwar’s death. Experts believe the group may delay acknowledging his death, especially since his body remains in Israeli custody. Sinwar’s murder occurred shortly after the death of his predecessor Ismail Haniyeh in July, raising questions about who will succeed him as Hamas leader.
Sinwar’s death marks a critical moment in Israel’s conflict with Hamas, but it remains to be seen how this development will affect the ongoing war and the fate of those still imprisoned in Gaza.
