Israeli forces on Thursday confirmed the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, during a military operation in Gaza on Wednesday.
Sinwar’s body was later transferred to Israel, where forensic analysis, including DNA testing and dental record comparisons, identified him.
While Hamas has yet to officially acknowledge his death, numerous Israeli officials, who spoke anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter, confirmed the identification.
In a speech following the confirmation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “Hamas will no longer rule Gaza. This is the beginning of the day after Hamas,” signaling a turning point in Israel’s ongoing military campaign.
President Joe Biden, addressing Sinwar’s death on Thursday, described it as a “good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.”
Referring to the 2023 Hamas-led attack, which claimed the lives of dozens of Americans, Biden drew parallels to the 2011 killing of Osama bin Laden, noting that Sinwar’s death provided a similar sense of relief.
While Biden is expected to speak with Netanyahu in the coming days, national security adviser Jake Sullivan mentioned that the president is closely monitoring developments in Israel.
The State Department’s Matthew Miller also confirmed the upcoming conversation between the two leaders.
Sinwar was killed during a firefight between Israeli soldiers and Hamas militants. The Israeli unit, unaware at first of Sinwar’s involvement, discovered his body under rubble after the shooting ceased.
The Israeli police later confirmed his identity through a combination of dental records, fingerprints, and DNA testing. This forensic process was crucial in affirming Sinwar’s death, which the Israeli Defense Forces later praised as a significant victory.
Netanyahu hailed Sinwar’s killing as a pivotal moment, stating it marked a crucial juncture in the war, more than a year after the conflict in Gaza began.
He reassured the families of hostages still held in Gaza, pledging that Israel would continue its efforts to bring them home.
The news of Sinwar’s death has reverberated across military and political circles. During a NATO defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was informed of Sinwar’s killing through a note passed along by Israeli officials, who also provided photographic evidence.
Israel has consistently targeted Hamas leaders, aiming to dismantle the organization by eliminating its key figures. In addition to Sinwar, Hamas has recently lost other significant leaders.
Ismail Haniyeh, another prominent figure, was killed in Iran in July 2023, a killing that Hamas and Iran attribute to Israel. Days later, Israel also confirmed the elimination of Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif in a separate operation.
A senior commander of the Jenin Battalion, a militant group operating in the West Bank, reacted to the news by praising Sinwar’s “martyrdom,” expressing that Sinwar had achieved his dream of dying for the cause of resistance.
He added that Sinwar had successfully humiliated Israel and its leaders since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023.
Sinwar, who was 61 at the time of his death, was widely regarded as the architect of the Oct. 7 massacre, during which Hamas fighters breached Israel’s security fence and launched a deadly attack that left around 1,200 Israelis dead and saw about 250 people taken hostage.
His death marks a critical moment in the conflict, with Israel viewing it as a major step towards weakening Hamas’ leadership, though experts caution that the death of a single leader may not immediately dismantle the organization.
