Israeli forces have accepted that Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader who reportedly died during the operation that happened in southern Gaza, had indeed been killed. Sinwar has been leading the armed group since 2017 and is reportedly considered to be the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks that took around 1,200 Israeli lives and kidnapped 251 hostages, according to Israel, the US, and the UK.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu said: “That is a beginning of the end of this war in Gaza.” Sinwar was confirmed to have been killed during an attack on his home, along with two other militants, in Rafah, with no hostages found in the apartment. For a long time, people believed Sinwar always traveled with hostages for protection.
Terms of the Operation
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) noted that Sinwar had been seen sitting in a chair by a drone prior to the soldiers entering to find him armed with a gun, vest, and 40,000 shekels approximately £8,240. His death was confirmed hours later when the Israeli authorities compared dental records and fingerprints.
We told you we’d get to him, and we did,” IDF Chief Lt. Col. Hertzi Halevi said in reference to the assassination of Sinwar. Netanyahu turned to the people of Gaza after the assassination: “He is no longer the one controlling in Hamas, and I am calling on the people of Gaza to free themselves from his rule.”
Reactions and Consequences
The killing of Sinwar follows the earlier death of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July. Analysts describe the deaths of the two Hamas leaders as a significant moment for Israel in its military campaign against Hamas.
Israeli officials hailed the operation as a critical success
Foreign Minister Israel Katz described it as “a strategic, important military and moral achievement.” Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “Sinwar joins a long series of eliminations,” noting that this has consequences for Israel’s enemies.
Hamas issued no statement on Sinwar’s death, and it was still unknown who would replace him at the helm of the group. U.S. President Joe Biden meanwhile threw his support behind Israel, declaring the killing a good day for Israel, for the United States and for the world.
As the battle rages on, the health ministry in Gaza, run by Hamas, confirms close to 42,500 deaths and over 99,000 injuries, including 101 presumed remaining hostages in Gaza. The families of the still-hostages are applying pressure to make fast moves on the liberation of their respective loved ones.
Netanyahu acknowledged the intricacies of the war but stated that Israel was committed to realizing its military goals.
