On Thursday, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz confirmed the death of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in a Gaza operation. Sinwar was killed in one of the few remaining houses in a residential area of Rafah, according to a CNN analysis of videos and photos released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The video was played by Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari in a news briefing soon after the targeted attack to deliver the news of Sinwar’s death.
Justice has been served – Sinwar has been eliminated.
Our work is not done. pic.twitter.com/ZIVN8gEXfS— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) October 17, 2024
In a public statement, Katz said, “The mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was eliminated… by IDF.” Hamas is yet to confirm his death. Sinwar was blamed as the intelligence behind the October 7 attacks since initiating the Israeli military’s campaign against him and Hamas in Gaza. Announcements of Sinwar’s death come weeks after the Israeli army took down Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in a targeted strike in Lebanon.
In light of these developments, Lebanon’s Hezbollah has announced “a new and escalating phase” that looms over the Middle East. The Iran-backed militant group claimed to have killed 55 Israeli soldiers and injured 500 since the onset of Israel’s ground operations in Lebanon. Hezbollah’s statement on the Telegram app did not reference the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
