Yahya Sinwar on the left side of the photo. (Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades)
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on October 17 it was working to confirm that one of three fighters its troops killed a day earlier in the Gaza Strip was Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of the Hamas Movement.
“At this time, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” the IDF said in a statement.
The fighters were killed when troops opened fire on a group of combatants on the ground floor of a building on October 16. Hebrew media reported that the clash took place in the Tell al-Sultan neighborhood near the city of Rafah in southern Gaza.
A strike was ordered against the building, which partially collapsed the structure. When the troops subsequently entered the building the next day, they realized that one of the dead fighters “looked very much like” Sinwar.
IDF troops were not targeting or looking for Sinwar and did not know the Hamas leader might be in the area where they were operating.
“The IDF and Shin Bet forces operating in the area continue to operate under the necessary caution,” the army said.
The IDF also noted that there were no hostages present in the area where the clash took place. Recent reports claimed that Sinwar was hiding among Israeli hostages throughout the war.
A senior Israeli official told the Times of Israel that there is a “high likelihood” that a body found at the scene of the deadly clash is that of Sinwar. Two of Israel’s main broadcasters, Kan and Channel 12, also cited Israeli officials as saying Sinwar was killed in the clash.
The IDF issued its statement after unverified graphic photos showing a dead body that resembled Sinwar began circulating on social media.
Hebrew media said that samples from the three bodies were being tested for DNA and would also undergo dental and fingerprint checks. However, the suspected body of Sinwar was not immediately brought to Israel because the area where it was found was heavily booby-trapped. The body also had a military vest carrying hand grenades.
Sinwar was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southern Gaza. He joined Hamas when Sheikh Ahmed Yassin founded the group around the time the first Palestinian intifada began in 1987. The following year, he set up the group’s internal security apparatus.
He was serving four life terms for the alleged killing of two Israeli soldiers, as well as four Palestinians he suspected of cooperating with Israel, when he became the most senior of 1,027 Palestinian prisoners released in exchange for kidnapped IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in 2011.
Sinwar served as Hamas leader inside Gaza starting from 2017. He is seen by Israel as the mastermind behind the October 7 Hamas-led surprise attack inside Israeli territory, in which more than 1,100 people were killed and more than 200 others taken captive.
Last July, he became the overall leader of Hamas after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. He was selected by Hamas’s 50-strong Shura Council.
Hamas has not yet commented on the rumors of Sinwar’s death. If confirmed, it would be a heavy loss for the group. However, it wont mean its end.
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