In a fresh development amongst the atmosphere of war in the Middle East, the Israeli military on Thursday confirmed the death of top Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in a military operation in Gaza. The confirmation came from Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz where he described Sinwar as the "mastermind behind the massacre and atrocities" of October 7, 2023. Later, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) also confirmed the development on X.
Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar, The October 7 Mastermind, Dead In Military Op In Gaza: Israel
Alongside Mohammed Deif, the head of the armed wing of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar was believed to have orchestrated the attack that killed 1,200 Israelis. Sinwar was named the Hamas chief following the assassination of leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran.
"This is a significant 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 while adding, "The elimination of Sinwar opens the possibility for the immediate release of the hostages and paves the way for a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza—without Hamas and without Iranian control."
Earlier, the authorities informed about looking into the possibility of his death by conducting DNA tests on a body to determine if it was him.
According to the official statement issued by the IDF, three militants were killed during operations in Gaza. It said the identities of the three were so far not confirmed, but it was “checking the possibility” that one of the three was Sinwar.
“During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed. In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution,” IDF said on X.
Since the emergence of the news, the social media platforms are flooded with the images of Yahya Sinwar's dead body surrounded by the Israeli military in Gaza. Right from the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict, Sinwar has topped Israel's most wanted list and his death definitely strikes a powerful blow to Hamas.
As per reports, US President Joe Biden was also briefed on Israel's investigation and the officials of both the nations have been in close contact throughout Thursday.
The possibility of Sinwar's death emerged as Israeli forces continued a more than week-old major air and ground assault in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Who was Yahya Sinwar?
Known as one of the chief architects of Hamas' attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, alongside Mohammed Deif, the head of the armed wing of Hamas, Sinwar was named the Hamas chief following the assassination of leader Ismail Haniyeh in the Iranian capital Tehran.
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Sinwar was seen as a hard-liner with closer ties to Hamas' armed wing than his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh.
The1962-born leader was considered one of the early members of the Gaza-based militant outfit Hamas when it was founded in 1987. Earlier, Sinwar spearheaded the militant group’s security branch.
Under the charges of abduction and killing, Israel apprehended Sinwar in the late 1980s. During his imprisonment, he organized protests for better prison conditions while studying Hebrew and Israeli society.
In 2011, Sinwar was released as part of a prisoner exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas.
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