Israeli Military Says It May Have Killed Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar

According to the Israeli military, Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who planned the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, that sparked the Gaza war, may have been killed.

A statement released on Thursday afternoon said: “During Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated.

“The IDF [is] 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.”

Several security officials, speaking anonymously, told Israeli media that the bodies had been sent to Israel for DNA testing, and that the IDF believes “with high probability” that one of those killed was Sinwar.

According to Israel’s Kan Radio, the Hamas leader was murdered “by chance” rather than as a consequence of information collection. According to the station, the bodies included a large amount of cash and bogus IDs.

According to Israel’s Army Radio, the incident occurred during a ground operation in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, where Israeli troops killed three militants and took their bodies.

It stated that visual evidence indicated that one of the guys was Sinwar, and DNA tests were being carried out. Israel possesses DNA samples from Sinwar’s time in an Israeli prison.

Sinwar, the mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war, has been at the top of Israel’s wanted list ever since.

Sinwar, aged 61, was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza.

His boyhood buddies included Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ military chief, whom Israel said was killed in a bombing three months ago, and Mohammed Dahlan, a senior member of the secular Fatah party who is now living in exile in the UAE.

He joined Hamas at a young age and spent much of his childhood in and out of Israeli prisons. He ascended up the ranks to become an infamous enforcer, in charge of apprehending and executing alleged Palestinian collaborators with Israel.

In 1989, he was condemned to four life terms for kidnapping and killing two Israeli troops and four Palestinians whom he accused of cooperation. He served 22 years until being released in the 2011 prisoner swap, in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was exchanged for 1,000 Palestinians.

In 2017, he was chosen Hamas’ commander in Gaza in a secret ballot after surviving three Israeli murder attempts.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli