Israel confirms Hamas leader Sinwar killed by IDF
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Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar at the celebration of International Quds Day in Gaza City on April 14, 2023. Photo: Yousef Masoud/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Israeli officials said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israel Defense Forces in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Hamas confirmed his death in a statement on Friday.
Why it matters: Sinwar was the mastermind of the Oct. 7 terror attacks, which killed 1,200 people and set off Israel's year-long war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has made killing him a key objective, and may now be more willing to scale back its military operations in Gaza.
- Most of the people killed on Oct. 7 were civilians, including 43 Americans. 250 people were taken hostage, among them 12 Americans.
- In the year since the terror attacks, Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in its assault on Gaza — most of them civilians, according to local health officials.
The latest: In a statement issued on Friday, Sinwar's deputy Khalil al-Haya said his death will only strengthen Hamas.
- He said Hamas will release the hostages only if the war stops, the IDF fully withdraws from Gaza and Palestinians being held in Israeli prisoners are released.
Driving the news: The IDF and the Shin Bet said the incident took place on Wednesday night local time in the southern Gaza Strip.
- During a routine patrol by the IDF, the soldiers encountered three armed men. They exchanged fire and killed them.
- Israeli officials said the incident was coincidental and not based on intelligence.
- The IDF and Shin Bet stressed there were no hostages involved in the incident — a message Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked the IDF to relay to hostage families, his spokesperson said.
Zoom in: The IDF and Shin Bet confirmed Sinwar's body was identified.
- Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz also confirmed Sinwar was killed in a message he sent to several of his counterparts around the world, the Israeli foreign ministry said.
- Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant spoke on the phone with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shortly before the IDF statement was published and told him a DNA test identified the body was Sinwar, Israeli officials said.
What they're saying: The IDF and Shin Bet said in a statement that IDF soldiers from the Southern Command killed Sinwar after operations in southern Gaza in recent weeks restricted his movement.
- Israeli forces were operating in the area following intelligence indicating senior Hamas members were located there, the statement said.
Gallant said Sinwar's death was a message to "all of our enemies — the IDF will reach anyone who attempts to harm the citizens of Israel or our security forces, and we will bring you to justice."
- He called for the release of the hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza and for those involved in the fighting to surrender.
- Sinwar was the Hamas leader in Gaza since 2017 and took over leadership of the Hamas political bureau in August.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details.
