Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, delivers a speech in Gaza City, April 30, 2022. (AP/Adel Hana) (AP/Adel Hana)
Yahye Sinwar

Was Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Killed in Israeli Strike?

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An unnamed Israeli official informed Channel 12 that Sinwar has been eliminated.

By JNS

The Israel Defense Forces was investigating on Thursday if Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was one of three terrorists killed in a battle in the Gaza Strip.

“At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” the IDF said in a statement.

However, a senior Israeli official told Hebrew-language media that there was a “high likelihood” Sinwar is dead.

Members of Israel’s Security Cabinet were informed that Sinwar is probably dead, Reuters reported, citing two officials with knowledge of the matter.

An anonymous Israeli official later told Channel 12 that Sinwar was eliminated.

Photos circulating on social media appear to show the Hamas chief lying in the rubble of a collapsed building.

According to reports, Sinwar was killed on Wednesday by tank fire called in by IDF troops operating on the ground in southern Gaza who had identified three armed terrorists in a building.

When soldiers subsequently searched the premises, they were reportedly shocked to find the body of someone resembling Sinwar. The person in question was wearing a military vest replete with grenades.

The corpse has not yet been transferred back to Israel for DNA testing because the area remains heavily booby-trapped, local media reported.

U.S. officials told The New York Times that Jerusalem informed Washington of the probability that Sinwar is dead.

“We will reach every terrorist and eliminate them,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted on Thursday.

“You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword,” added Gallant, quoting Leviticus 26:7.

The minister included a graphic containing pictures of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an IDF strike in Beirut last month, and former Hamas “military” chief Mohammed Deif, who the military killed in a strike in Gaza’s Khan Yunis in July.

Later Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Israel Security Agency head Ronen Bar held a situation assessment.

The military said on Thursday that while no hostages were found in the building where the three terrorists were killed, “forces continue to operate under the necessary caution in the area.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu instructed the IDF to inform hostage families that there was no indication any captives were hurt during the battle.

Qatari officials involved in negotiations between Israel and Hamas have told family members of hostages that Sinwar has surrounded himself with captives.

Hamas still holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 taken during its onslaught on the northwestern Negev just over a year ago, in which 1,200 people were killed and thousands more wounded.

Earlier this month, Sinwar reportedly renewed contacts with mediators in Qatar to find out the chances that he could receive immunity in any ceasefire-for-hostages deal.

Similarly, in August, Ynet reported that Sinwar wanted protection against the possibility of an Israeli assassination. “Sinwar insists on guarantees for his safety and life” a senior Egyptian official said.

Two threats from Qatar led to Sinwar’s emergence from a long silence, according to Channel 12.

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