Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the key figure in the group’s cross-border attacks in 2023 that led to the deadliest day in Israel’s history, was killed in combat, stated Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy chief of Gaza Hamas and the group’s chief negotiator, on Friday.
Sinwar’s death, following Israeli assassinations of other Hamas figures and commanders, will deal a significant blow to the Islamist faction, which has faced relentless airstrikes since its attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, resulting in 1,200 casualties, according to Israeli tallies.
This led to approximately 250 people being taken back to Gaza, creating a hostage crisis for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has sworn to destroy Hamas.
Yahya Sinwar, who had been named the supreme leader of Hamas on August 6 following the death of Ismail Haniyeh, was considered a relentless adversary of Israel, where he had been imprisoned for many years. Among Palestinians who collaborated with Israel, he was seen as a harsh enforcer.
Sinwar, widely recognized as the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attack—the most devastating event for Israel in recent decades—had been in Gaza, repeatedly eluding Israeli efforts to eliminate him since the conflict began.
In a recent video statement, Hamas declared it would not release any hostages until Israel ceased its military actions in Gaza, withdrew from the territory, and released all Palestinian prisoners, according to the news agency AFP.
