The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in a strike on Gaza, two Israeli officials told on Thursday.
Sinwar, who has led Hamas' operations in Gaza since 2017, is believed to have been a key planner of the October 7, 2023 attack, where Palestinian militants killed 1,200 people in Israel.
In recent months, Israel has eliminated several key figures of Iran-backed militant groups. They killed Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July and Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut in September.
“We will reach every terrorist and eliminate him,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as DNA testing was conducted on the body found.
Hamas has been holding Israeli hostages near Sinwar’s hideouts as a strategy to deter Israeli strikes. There is now concern that the attack on Sinwar may have endangered some of these captives or that Hamas will retaliate by killing them.
The IDF, however, stated that no hostages were found in the building during the strike. They added that forces continue to operate with caution in the area.
A senior Israeli official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while it appears Sinwar was killed, confirmation is still pending, with the IDF and Israeli intelligence working to verify the evidence.
Sinwar was reportedly found in a building in Rafah, southern Gaza, during a routine IDF operation. Israeli soldiers engaged Hamas fighters near the building, where Sinwar and other Hamas commanders were discovered. It's unclear whether Sinwar was based in the building or passing through.
Israeli officials have expressed growing concern about the fate of hostages still held in Gaza. Former Shin Bet head Ya’akov Peri said, “They are still checking the body,” adding that the major concern now is “where are the hostages?”