Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen confirmed on Thursday that Yahya Sinwar, the chief of Hamas, was killed during a military operation in Gaza. Sinwar was believed to be behind the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which escalated the ongoing conflict. “Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the atrocities of October 7, was killed today by IDF soldiers,” Cohen stated in a written release from his office.
While Hamas has not issued an official statement regarding Sinwar’s death, sources within the group indicated that he was likely killed during an Israeli operation in the Tal El Sultan area of southern Gaza.
Earlier on the same day, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reported the elimination of three unidentified terrorists during an ongoing operation in Gaza. According to the IDF, there were no indications of hostages in the building where the terrorists were killed, and operations in the area were being conducted with caution.
Yahya Sinwar rose to lead Hamas following the death of the previous leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in an explosion in Iran during the conflict with Israel. Born in 1962 in a Gaza refugee camp, Sinwar had been involved with Hamas since its inception and had led the group’s security wing, focusing on neutralizing Israeli informants.
In related developments, the Israeli military conducted a strike on a Gaza-based school earlier today, resulting in the deaths of at least 15 people, including five children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The military stated that the strike targeted a gathering of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants at the Abu Hussein school in Jabaliya, a northern Gaza urban refugee camp.
