Yahya Sinwar, the powerful and elusive militant leader of Hamas who helped to plot the group’s devastating assault on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, was killed in battle on Wednesday, the Israeli military said. A unit of trainee squad commanders unexpectedly encountered him in southern Gaza, Israeli defense officials confirmed yesterday.
After a firefight in Gaza with Hamas forces, Israeli soldiers retrieved a body that was later confirmed to be Sinwar’s via DNA, dental records and fingerprints.
Sinwar had been in hiding in Gaza for the last year, but was believed to be closely overseeing Hamas military operations. There was no immediate response from Hamas.
In Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu celebrated Sinwar’s death, but he stopped short of declaring total victory in Israel’s war against Hamas. “Today, evil took a heavy blow — the mission ahead of us is still unfinished,” he said.
The White House: President Biden congratulated Netanyahu, saying he would speak to him about “the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all.” Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, is set to travel to Israel in the coming days.
