Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday (local time) confirmed the death of Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar by Israeli forces in a military operation in Gaza. Netanyahu shared a video address on his ‘X’ account where he said, “it’s the beginning of the end.” He further said that the war can end tomorrow only ‘if Hamas lays down its arms and return our hostages.’ Sinwar, the 61-year-old Hamas leader is thought to have masterminded the deadly October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, sparking the Gaza war.
The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday evening that they had eliminated three unidentified terrorists during an ongoing operation in Gaza. While the killing of Yahya Sinwar was not immediately disclosed, the IDF later confirmed his death. However, there has been no official confirmation from Hamas regarding Sinwar’s demise, according to Reuters.
In his address, PM Benjamin Netanyahu gave a stern warning to Iran by saying, “those who would harm our hostages, I have another message – Israel will hunt you down and bring you to justice.” He further added, “The axis of terror that was built by Iran is collapsing before our eyes.” Reiterating the hostage situation, Netanyahu said, “Hamas is holding 101 hostages in Gaza who are citizens of 23 countries, citizens of Israel, but citizens of many other countries. Israel is committed to doing everything in our power to bring all of them home. Israel will guarantee the safety of all those who return our hostages.”
Yahya Sinwar is dead.
He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces.
While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end.
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu)
The Israeli PM declared the elimination of several key figures from the militant organisations, he listed the names of prominent leaders killed, stating: “Nasrallah is gone, his deputy Mohsen is gone, Haniyeh is gone, Deif is gone, Sinwar is gone. The reign of terror that the Iranian regime has imposed on its own people and on the peoples of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, too will come to an end.”
According to a PTI report, Yahya Sinwar, a veteran Hamas leader, was known for his obsessive discipline and dictatorial leadership. Fluent in Hebrew after years in Israeli prisons, Sinwar carefully studied Israel, becoming a nightmarish figure for the nation. He assumed leadership of Hamas following the death of former leader Ismail Haniyeh in an explosion in Iran during the Israel-Gaza war.
Born in a Gaza refugee camp in 1962, Sinwar was involved with Hamas from its inception, leading its security wing and targeting informants for Israel. He also engaged in indirect negotiations with Israel, aiming to secure the release of thousands of Palestinians in Israeli jails, similar to the deal that freed him over a decade ago.
Sinwar worked to strengthen ties between Hamas, Iran, and other regional allies. Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, chief spokesperson of the Israeli army, described him as a murderer, adding that Sinwar “proved to the whole world that Hamas is worse than ISIS.”
While Sinwar garnered respect among Palestinians for his resistance to Israel and remaining in Gaza, he was also feared for his iron-fisted control, with dissent in Gaza being harshly suppressed.
(With PTI inputs)
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