Israel confirms Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza

Israeli forces confirmed Thursday, Oct. 17 that they killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during a military operation in southern Gaza. — Image credit: Getty Images

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Israeli forces confirme d Thursday, Oct. 17, that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed during a military operation in southern Gaza. Sinwar, responsible for orchestrating the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, was killed after a confrontation with Israeli troops in Rafah. His identity was confirmed through dental records and fingerprints.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the killing as “settling the score” with the man behind the attacks that left over 1,200 dead. Despite Sinwar’s death, Netanyahu stated Israel “will not stop the war.”

Hamas names Yahya Sinwar as leader after Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Iran. Sinwar, mastermind of the Oct. 7 attack. — Getty Images

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant urged Hamas to surrender and release the remaining hostages held in Gaza.

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While Hamas has not commented on the killing, the loss of Sinwar is seen as a significant setback for the group. President Joe Biden compared the moment to the killing of Osama bin Laden, calling it a “good day” for Israel and the world.

Alex Delia (Producer) and Zachary Hill (Video Editor) contributed to this report.

Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, East Palestine, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Israel Defense Forces, Joe Biden, Palestine, Terrorism, Yahya Sinwar

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

THE ISRAELI MILITARY ANNOUNCED THAT HAMAS LEADER YAHYA SINWAR, ONE OF THE MASTERMINDS BEHIND THE DEVASTATING OCTOBER 7TH ATTACKS, WAS KILLED IN A RECENT OPERATION IN SOUTHERN GAZA.

ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES REPORTEDLY ENCOUNTERED AND KILLED THREE ARMED MEN DURING A PATROL ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

AFTER CONDUCTING DNA AND DENTAL TESTS, ISRAEL IS NOW CONFIRMING THAT SINWAR WAS AMONG THOSE KILLED, CONCLUDING A YEAR-LONG PURSUIT.

PRIME MINISTER BENJAMIN NETANYAHU’S OFFICE EMPHASIZED THAT NO HOSTAGES WERE INVOLVED IN THIS PARTICULAR ENCOUNTER… ADDING ‘EVIL HAS SUFFERED A HEAVY BLOW’

IDF CONFIRMED THE EXECUTION THROUGH A POST ON X.

PRIOR TO CONFIRMATION… NEWS OF SINWAR’S DEATH SPREAD THROUGHOUT ISRAEL, LEADING TO VIDEOS OF CELEBRATION, INCLUDING THIS LIFEGUARD ANNOUNCING THE NEWS TO BEACHGOERS IN BAT YAM.

WHILE HAMAS HAS YET TO FORMALLY COMMENT ON SINWAR’S KILLING, IT IS EXPECTED TO ESCALATE TENSIONS EXPERTS ARE ALREADY SPECULATING ABOUT HOW THIS WILL IMPACT BOTH THE MILITARY AND POLITICAL STRATEGIES OF HAMAS MOVING FORWARD, AS ISRAEL INTENSIFIES ITS CAMPAIGN TO DISMANTLE THE GROUP’S LEADERSHIP.

SINWAR, A LEADER OF HAMAS IN GAZA SINCE 2017, WAS SEEN AS A PIVOTAL FIGURE IN ORCHESTRATING HAMAS’S MILITARY AND POLITICAL STRATEGIES. WHILE ISRAEL INTENSIFIES EFFORTS TO DISMANTLE HAMAS, SINWAR’S DEATH COULD MARK A TURNING POINT IN THE CONFLICT.

FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.

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