Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded October 7 massacre, killed
Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader behind the October 7, 2023 massacre, was killed by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) troops in Gaza. The IDF had earlier said there was a "very high likelihood" that Sinwar was among three terrorists killed in Rafah. A police document shared by some reporters confirmed that the dental characteristics and fingerprint fully matched Sinwar.
Sinwar's death: Unintentional result of IDF operation
Sinwar's body was found dressed in a military vest filled with grenades and heavily booby-trapped in a building. The IDF clarified that they didn't specifically target Sinwar and were unaware of his presence at the location. When the soldiers later entered the facility on Thursday, they noticed that one of the deceased terrorists "looked very much like" Sinwar. The three terrorists were killed when troops opened fire on a group of fighters.
No hostages present
The army also reported that no hostages were present in the vicinity where the three terrorists were slain. "The IDF and Shin Bet forces operating in the area continue to operate under the necessary caution," the army said in a statement on Thursday. "At this time, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed," the IDF said after rumors about the incident circulated widely online.
Sinwar had been hiding with the 6 captives
According to a report by Channel 12, Sinwar had been hiding with the six captives who were killed by Hamas kidnappers in August and whose bodies were discovered by the IDF on August 31. The network speculated that this was why Sinwar no longer had hostages to use as human shields when he was killed. It stated that the gunfight that killed Sinwar on Wednesday occurred in the same area where the six hostages were held and killed.
Sinwar's background and rise to power
Sinwar rose to the top of Hamas in Gaza after Ismail Haniyeh was killed in July in a Tehran blast. He reportedly orchestrated the October 7 Israeli invasion that killed around 1,200 and took 251 hostages. A native of Khan Younis, Sinwar joined Hamas during the first Palestinian intifada in 1987. He was sentenced to four life terms for killing Israeli soldiers and Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel before being freed in a prisoner swap.
