Israel's Military Said It Has Killed Hamas’ Top Leader, Yahya Sinwar, In Gaza
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp, Sinwar joined Hamas soon after it was founded in the 1980s and has been a top figure in the group since 2017.
Israel’s military said it has killed Hamas' top leader, Yahya Sinwar, in an airstrike on the Gaza Strip.
On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Israeli military announced they are looking into whether Sinwar was among three Hamas members killed in a “targeted ground operation” in Rafah, in the southern Gaza strip.
The military did not immediately confirm the identities of those killed.
The Israeli military said it is conducting DNA tests due to the resemblance of one of the killed militants to Sinwar.
Israel has Sinwar's DNA from when he was previously imprisoned in Israel, according to Reuters.
It also stated that no hostages were found in the building targeted in the strike as there has been speculation that Sinwar kept Israeli hostages close to him to avoid being targeted, according to The Guardian.
It also stated that no hostages were found in the building targeted in the strike as there has been speculation that Sinwar kept Israeli hostages close to him to avoid being targeted, according to The Guardian.
Born in 1962 in the Khan Younis refugee camp, Sinwar joined Hamas soon after it was founded in the 1980s. He has been a top figure in the group since 2017.
He was said to have been the main mastermind behind the group’s surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7.
He became Hamas’ leader and chairman of its political bureau after Ismael Haniyeh, Hamas’ former political chief, was assassinated in an explosion at his guest house during a visit to Tehran, Iran.
He keeps a low profile, frequently changing his location and only using trusted messengers to communicate, avoiding digital methods entirely, Reuters reported, citing several Hamas and regional officials.
Sinwar has not appeared in public since Oct. 7, 2023.
Hamas has not yet made any official statement on the matter.
If confirmed, Sinwar’s death could increase tensions in the Middle East, as Israel expands its war, including its genocide in Gaza, and now attacks in Lebanon, and Syria.
Cherry Mohamed
Kassy Cho
