The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Thursday its forces killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in a Gaza operation the day before. Hours earlier, the IDF announced it was investigating whether Sinwar was dead after rumors of the terrorist leader’s demise began circulating online.
“Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar,” the IDF stated on X.
Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz also confirmed the news in a statement, becoming the first Israeli official to do so. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to provide a statement to the press.
The IDF said earlier that three unidentified terrorists were eliminated in the fight. “The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” the Israeli military posted on X.
“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area,” the IDF said. “The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution.”
Sinwar, known as the mastermind of the October 7 attack on Israel last year, was named the new leader of Hamas after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in the Iranian capital of Tehran in late July. Israel has not taken responsibility for the explosion that killed Haniyeh.
Sinwar joined Hamas in the 1980s and has been leading the Palestinian terrorist group within Gaza since 2017. An early architect of the group’s armed wing, Sinwar succeeded Haniyeh as Hamas’s political chief in August.
The IDF also killed Hamas officials Mohammed Deif and Saleh al-Arouri this year, and announced earlier this month that its forces killed three other senior Hamas leaders three months ago.
On Wednesday, Israeli soldiers opened fire on a group of terrorists on the ground floor of a building in the Gaza Strip, Israel’s Channel 12 reported. One of the dead terrorists reportedly looked like Sinwar, and photos of the body spread on social media.
Israeli officials were testing the body for DNA and fingerprints to confirm if it was Sinwar. Israel has Sinwar’s DNA and fingerprints on record since his time in Israeli prison.
As speculation grew of Sinwar’s apparent death, Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant posted a message on social media vowing to destroy the remaining terrorist leaders. “Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them,” Gallant said, quoting Leviticus 26:7.
The post featured photos of Deif and the late Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah with red X’s over their headshots. The third photo was blacked out, seemingly referring to Sinwar.