Yahya Sinwar - latest: Hamas leader and October 7 mastermind killed in Gaza, Israel says
The Israeli military say Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed on Wednesday night during an operation in southern Gaza
Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
The Israeli military has confirmed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the 7 October attack on Israel last year, has been killed during an operation in southern Gaza.
In a statement, the spokesperson said the leader was killed by a southern command military operation in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday night. Verification of his body had been ongoing since then.
The death of Yahya Sinwar represents a major boost to the Israeli military and prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu after a string of high-profile assassinations of prominent leaders of the Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah in recent months.
Israel’s Army Radio said the incident occurred during a ground operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip during which Israeli troops killed three militants and took their bodies.
Sinwar was the chief architect of last October’s attack on Israel, which killed nearly 1,200 people and led to 251 more being taken hostage, and triggered the war inside Gaza. More than 43,000 Palestinians have been killed since.
Sinwar had thus far eluded detection, possibly hiding in the warren of tunnels Hamas has built under Gaza over the past two decades.
Killing of Hamas leader Sinwar dealt fatal blow to Hamas, France says
The killing of Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces dealt a fatal blow to Hamas, France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Thursday, adding that a page must now be turned to work towards peace in the region.
“A page has to be turned now for the region and its path towards peace”, Barrot told LCI television, adding that diplomacy alone would allow for ending hostilities.
US security adviser: work still needed to ensure Hamas is dealt long-term blow
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday that work needed to be done to ensure the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “actually does deal the kind of long-term blow to Hamas that all of us would like to see.”
Sullivan, speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s objectives had not been reached as hostages taken by Hamas last year were not yet home.
Starmer issues statement on Sinwar death
Prime minister Keir Starmer has issued a statement on the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
“As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind behind the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, as 1200 people were slaughtered in Israel,” he said.
“Today my thoughts are with the families of those victims. The UK will not mourn his death.
“The release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid are long overdue so we can move towards a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East.”
EU's Von der Leyen says death of Hamas leader Sinwar 'significantly weakens group'
The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “is certainly significantly weakening Hamas”, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters on Thursday when asked about reports of the death of the Hamas leader.
Sinwar was killed on Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz has said.
Kamala Harris reacts to Hamas Leader Sinwar's death
Biden, Netanyahu spoke after Hamas leader Sinwar's death, US official says
US president Joe Biden spoke to Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the confirmation of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death on Thursday, a US official said.
Biden and Netanyahu agreed that Sinwar’s death has created an opportunity to push for the release of hostages in Gaza and that they would work together to achieve that goal, Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Can the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar bring an end to Israel’s war in Gaza?
Can the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar bring an end to Israel’s war in Gaza?
This is the type of momentous event that could bring an end to the conflict, but Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has already vowed to push on, Chris Stevenson writes
US targets Yemen’s Houthi rebels with long-range B-2 stealth bombers
US targets Yemen’s Houthi rebels with long-range B-2 stealth bombers
The strike appeared to be an indirect warning to Iran
Lebanon health ministry issues updated death toll
At least 2,412 people have been killed and 11,285 wounded in a year of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, the country’s health ministry has said.
Last known footage of Yahya Sinwar resurfaces as Israel says it has killed Hamas leader
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments