Yahya Sinwar, Hamas leader who masterminded October 7 attacks, killed in Gaza: Israel

Mangalore Today News Network

Israel, October 18, 2024: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks in Israel last year, was killed an operation by Israeli forces in Gaza on Thursday.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced the killing of Sinwar after hours of operation in Gaza that led to killing of two more people. “The mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7th, was eliminated today by IDF (Israeli military) soldiers,” Katz said in a statement sent to media.

Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu asked Hamas to release hostages and said those who would lay down arms will be allowed to live.

“Sinwar ruined lives of Gaza people. He was hiding in a den. His elimination is a landmark in ending Hamas rule. Hamas no longer rules Gaza. Whosoever hold our hostages, lay down your arms and release them, we will let you live. We are closer to victory. big challenges are still ahead of us. Together we will fight and win,” he said.

Reacting to Sinwar’s death, US president Joe Biden said that this is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.

“I will be speaking soon with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders to congratulate them, to discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all, which has caused so much devastation to innocent people,” he said.

Biden said there is now the opportunity for a “day after” in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. “Yahya Sinwar was an insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals. That obstacle no longer exists. But much work remains before us,” he added.

How Israel Identified Sinwar’s Body

Dental records helped Israel to identify Sinwar’s body, according to a US official and a former official familiar with the situation, along with other biometric data. The official noted that the dental verification process was completed fairly swiftly. The Israeli government has access to Sinwar’s biometrics due to his more than twenty years of imprisonment in Israel for murder, CNN reported.

The official X account of Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) also confirmed Sinwar’s death.

Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 17, 2024

The Israeli military and intelligence agencies conducted DNA analysis to verify whether the body in question is that of Sinwar.

The Chief of Staff, Major General Herzi Halevi and the head of the General Security Service, Ronan Bar also inspected the spot where Sinwar was killed.

The IDF troops engaged and killed the “terrorists” after opening fire on a group of fighters located on the ground floor of a building in Gaza, in an incident that started on Wednesday. IDF troops were not trageting to kill Sinwar during the operation and were unaware that he could be present in the area where they were conducting their operations.

President Joe Biden has been briefed on Israel’s investigation into whether it killed Sinwar, and US officials have been in close contact with Israeli officials throughout Thursday morning, according to a senior administration official.

Who Is Yahya Sinwar?

Since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, Yahya Sinwar has been at the top of Israel’s most wanted list.

Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks on Israel, became the chief of Hamas in August after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an explosion in Iran. Born in 1962, Sinwar was one of the early members of Hamas when it was founded in 1987. He previously led the militant group’s security branch and was known for his ruthless tactics against suspected collaborators.

Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel in the late 1980s for killing 12 individuals accused of being informants and received four life sentences. While incarcerated, he organized protests for better conditions and studied Hebrew and Israeli society. In 2008, he overcame brain cancer with treatment from Israeli doctors.

He was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas. Alongside Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s armed wing, Sinwar is believed to have orchestrated the October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis. This assault triggered a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities.