Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel has been killed. Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz first confirmed.
“Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was killed today by IDF soldiers,” Katz said in a statement.
“This is a great military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world against the axis of evil of radical Islam led by Iran,” Katz said.
A year ago on the holiday of Sukkot, Yahya Sinwar orchestrated the horrific October 7th Massacre in which more than 1,200 Israeli men, women and children were butchered.
𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐈𝐬𝐫𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐢 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬.… pic.twitter.com/lCvdkwjkGC
Israeli police say Yayha Sinwar’s body was initially identified through analysis of his dental records. It says this was then confirmed by comparison of his fingerprints. Israel will have both of these, along with his DNA records, as a result of his being in prison there for 22 years.
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) October 17, 2024
Sinwar Eliminated
“Sinwar’s assassination creates the opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages. It may also bring about a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza – without Hamas and without Iranian control,” he added.
The Israeli Defence Forces too, in a tweet posted “Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar”
Sinwar’s death marks a huge success for Israel in this year-long war against Gaza.
Earlier, the Israeli army and police carried out DNA checks on the corpse of the man believed to be that of their arch foe.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
End Of Ceasefire?
In Israel, families of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza said they hoped that a ceasefire could now be reached that would bring home the captives. In Gaza, residents said they believed the war would go on.
The demise of Sinwar is a major boost to the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the devastating war in the Palestinian enclave grinds on into a second year.
Sinwar was named as Hamas’ overall leader following the assassination of political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July. He was believed to have been hiding in the warren of tunnels Hamas has built under Gaza over the past two decades.
His death could also dial up hostilities in the Middle East where the prospect of an even wider conflict has grown.
However, if it were to have other possibilities, the end of the man who planned the attack last year could also help push forward stalled efforts to end the war that attack triggered. During the year-long conflict Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in retaliation to a Hamas attack in which fighters killed 1,200 people in Israel and captured more than 250 hostages.
How Did Sinwar Become Chief?
A ruthless enforcer once tasked with punishing Palestinians suspected of informing on Israel, Sinwar made his name as a prison leader.
He emerged as a street hero. That after a 22-year Israeli prison sentence for masterminding the abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians. Sinwar then quickly rose to the top of the Hamas ranks. He was dedicated to eradicating Israel.
Israel has carried out relentless airstrikes and ground operations to try and reach Netanyahu’s goal of destroying Hamas.
In northern Gaza on Thursday, Israeli strikes killed 19 Palestinians including children at a school in the Jabalia camp that is sheltering displaced people, a Gaza health ministry official said.
(with inputs from Reuters)
