The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) says it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in the southern Gaza Strip as IDF troops were operating there following intelligence that “indicated the suspected locations of senior members of Hamas.”
Soldiers from its 828th Brigade killed three “terrorists” there, one of whom was later confirmed as Sinwar, the IDF says.
He was identified through dental and fingerprint analysis, Israeli police say.
The exact timings are unclear – the IDF says Sinwar was killed yesterday, while Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz says he was killed today.
Israeli’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he was killed in Rafah, a city in the far south of the territory on the border with Egypt while fleeing IDF forces.
Confirmation of the death followed hours of speculation, after the IDF said earlier it was investigating the possibility it had killed him.
Extremely graphic images have been circulating online today showing a body bearing a striking resemblance to Sinwar.
Hamas is yet to comment
Netanyahu says that Sinwar and “many of the mass murderers” of Hamas were hiding in Rafah, a city in the far south Gaza on the border with Egypt.
Netanyahu also claims that the Hamas leader was “eliminated while fleeing in panic” from Israeli soldiers.
“It is now clear to everyone why Israel insisted on not ending the war”, he goes on to say, adding that it entered Rafah despite international pressure not to do so.
Netanyahu also gives a stark warning to anyone holding hostages in Gaza, saying “whoever lays down their weapon and returns our hostages will be allowed to leave and live”.
“At the same time, whoever harms our hostages, his blood is on his own head. We will settle accounts with him,” he adds.
