Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, killed by Israeli forces in Gaza

Yahya Sinwar has been identified as the key planner behind the attacks on Israel that occurred on October 7th.

Israel has confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas, has been killed by its soldiers in southern Gaza.

Israel and the United States have labeled Sinwar as the key architect of the October 7 attacks, during which Hamas militants killed about 1,200 individuals in Israel and captured 251 hostages. This event led to Israel launching a ground invasion of Gaza. Sinwar has been at the helm of the armed group in Gaza since 2017.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, "Today, we fulfilled our promise and addressed our issues with him."

The Israeli military reported that Sinwar was one of three militants who lost their lives on Wednesday during a raid on a structure believed to be utilized by high-ranking Hamas officials.

It mentioned that there were no indications of hostages present at the location. Earlier reports had suggested that Sinwar might carry Israeli hostages for his own safety.

The confirmation of his death took several hours because Israel had to examine dental records and fingerprints to verify it. Israel likely had his genetic information on record from the many years he spent in an Israeli prison.

Previously, disturbing images shared online seemed to depict a deceased individual who looked like Sinwar, situated among debris and displaying a significant head wound.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that it was possible he had died, but they were reluctant to confirm his death too soon, especially since they had been searching for him for more than a year.

Speaking to the families of the hostages still in Gaza, Netanyahu assured them that Israel "will do everything possible to ensure we bring each one of your loved ones back, because they are important to us as well."

Netanyahu informed the people of Gaza that Sinwar "ruined your lives."

He stated, "Hamas will no longer hold power in Gaza. This marks the start of a new era without Hamas, and it presents a chance for you, the people of Gaza, to break free from its oppression once and for all."

The death of Sinwar follows the July incident in which Hamas's political head, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Tehran, the capital of Iran. After Haniyeh's passing, Sinwar was appointed as the overall leader of Hamas, taking over Haniyeh's responsibilities.

Sinwar, often referred to as Abu Ibrahim, was born in 1962 in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. At the age of 19, he was initially detained by Israel due to his involvement in "Islamic activities."

At the age of 25, he established the Hamas security agency known as al-Majd in the late 1980s. Al-Majd was responsible for dealing with individuals accused of moral violations and those believed to be cooperating with Israel.

In 1988, he received a sentence of four life terms in an Israeli prison. However, in 2011, he was one of the 1,027 inmates freed in a deal for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier who had been held by Hamas in Gaza for more than five years.

Sinwar's death was verified through dental records and fingerprint analysis.

Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, stated that the elimination of Sinwar represents an important victory both strategically and ethically.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that Sinwar "becomes part of a lengthy list of removals, which includes figures like [Hassan] Nasrallah and Mohammed Deif, among others."

Nasrallah, the head of the militant organization Hezbollah in Lebanon, lost his life in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut in September. Meanwhile, Deif, the military leader of Hamas, was killed in a strike in Gaza in July.

Gallant remarked, "Sinwar met his end while being hunted down and mistreated — he didn't die as a leader, but rather as an individual who was solely focused on his own survival. This serves as a strong warning to all our adversaries."

Hamas has not made any statements regarding the death of Sinwar.

In a statement, US President Joe Biden remarked that the elimination of Sinwar "demonstrates once more that terrorists around the globe cannot evade accountability."

He mentioned that it was "a positive day for Israel, the United States, and the entire globe."

Vice President Kamala Harris stated that Sinwar is accountable for an assault that "sparked a catastrophic conflict in Gaza - a conflict that has resulted in unimaginable hardship for countless innocent Palestinians and increased turmoil across the Middle East."

She stated, "This moment allows us to bring the conflict in Gaza to a close once and for all. It's essential that this resolution ensures Israel's safety, that the hostages are freed, that the hardships in Gaza come to an end, and that the Palestinian people can achieve their rights to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination."

David Petraeus, a former CIA director, remarked that the killing of Sinwar is even more significant than the US operation that led to Osama Bin Laden's death in 2012. Speaking on BBC Radio 4, he emphasized that it carries great symbolic weight as well as practical implications since Sinwar was the top leader of Hamas.

Israel's declared goal for its incursion into Gaza following the October 7 attack was to eliminate Hamas.

On Wednesday, IDF soldiers eliminated Sinwar in southern Gaza.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte expressed that he "won't personally miss" Sinwar, noting that he was "correctly acknowledged as the mastermind behind the terrorist attacks on Israel that occurred on October 7, 2023."

Although Sinwar has been eliminated, the Israeli military actions in Gaza are still ongoing. According to the health ministry in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, approximately 42,500 people have lost their lives and over 99,000 have been wounded in the hostilities.

About 101 hostages are believed to still be alive in Gaza. The families of the seven American hostages issued a collective statement urging that "everyone involved needs to take action right away" to ensure their safe return "before it becomes impossible."

It's uncertain who will take over from Sinwar as the leader of Hamas, especially considering Israel's recent history of targeted killings. It's also uncertain if this change in leadership will trigger any reactions from the group's allies in the region.

After Nasrallah's death, Iran responded by firing a series of missiles at Israel. The participation of Hezbollah in the fighting, along with the Iranian-supported Houthis in Yemen, is rooted in their partnership with Hamas.

In his comments, Netanyahu acknowledged that the war is challenging and has come at a high price for us.

However, he stated, "Today we've reiterated the consequences for those who cause us harm."