Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar 'eliminated', confirms Israel's foreign minister

Israel's foreign minister on Thursday confirmed that Hamas' chief Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces i

Updated on: Oct 18, 2024, 06:13:40 IST

By HT News Desk

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Israel's foreign minister Katz on Thursday confirmed that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in a military operation in Gaza. Sinwar was believed to have orchestrated the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to the war in Gaza.

Hamas' chief Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces on Thursday. (AP) (AP)

"Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was killed today by IDF soldiers," Katz said in a written statement from his office.

READ | Who was Yahya Sinwar, the ‘Butcher of Khan Younis’?

Hamas' reaction to Yahya Sinwar's killing

According to Reuters, there has been no official comment from the militant group Hamas but sources in the group said the indications suggested that Sinwar had been killed during an Israeli operation in the area of Tal El Sultan, in southern Gaza.

Earlier today, the Israel Defense Forces said that they eliminated three unidentified terrorists during an ongoing operation in Gaza.

As per the official statement, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the building where these terrorists were killed. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution," says the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Who was Yahya Sinwar?

Yahya Sinwar was the chief of the militant outfit Hamas. He took over as the head of Hamas after the previous leader Ismail Haniyeh was killed in an explosion in Iran during the war with Israel.

He was born in 1962 in a Gaza refugee camp and was involved with Hamas from its early days and led the group's security wing, focusing on eliminating informants for Israel.

Earlier today, the Israeli military launched a strike on a Gaza-based school and killed at least 15 people, including five children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The Israeli military said the strike targeted dozens of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants who had gathered at the Abu Hussein school in Jabaliya, an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza.

(With Reuters inputs)

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