News Brief
Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar, Mastermind Of 7 October Terror Attack On Israel, Killed In IDF Strike In Gaza—What You Need To Know
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Yahya Sinwar (Times of Israel)
Israel on Thursday (17 October) announced that its forces had successfully eliminated Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in an operation in Gaza.
This marks a big setback for the Palestinian terror group, which has been engaged in conflict with Israel since 7 October 2023 attack.
"The mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was eliminated... by IDF (Israeli military) soldiers," Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
The Israeli military later confirmed that "after a year-long pursuit," IDF soldiers had "eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organisation," during an operation carried out on Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip.
Hamas has yet to confirm Sinwar's death.
Sinwar was accused by Israel of masterminding the 7 October attack, which remains the deadliest in the nation’s history.
Israeli forces have been pursuing him since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict.
Sinwar ascended within Hamas, first becoming its leader in Gaza and later assuming the position of the terror's group overall head after the death of political chief Ismail Haniyeh in July.
The announcement of Sinwar's death follows Israel’s earlier assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a large-scale strike in Lebanon, where Israeli forces have been engaged in conflict since late September.
Earlier this year, Israel said that it had killed Mohammed Deif, Hamas' military commander, although Hamas has not confirmed it.
Deif, along with Sinwar, was accused of planning the 7 October attacks.
Over a year into the Gaza war, Hamas has been significantly weakened, and Sinwar's elimination could deal a seismic blow to the organisation.
Ahead of the official confirmation from Israel’s foreign minister, the IDF had issued a brief statement saying that "three terrorists were eliminated" during operations in the Gaza Strip, suggesting that Sinwar might be among them.
Israeli military reportedly conducted DNA test on the terrorist's body to confirm whether it was Sinwar's.
In a post on X, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant vowed that Israel would "reach every terrorist and eliminate them."
The conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted after the 7 October attack in Southern Israel, which resulted in 1,206 deaths, the majority being civilians.
