Israel says it has confirmed the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar – after pictures emerged purporting to show his body buried in rubble.

The 62-year-old, who has led Hamas within Gaza since 2017, is believed to be the mastermind of the 7 October 2023 attacks.

Israeli foreign minister Israel Katz made the claim following DNA tests and other checks on a body found in Gaza.

He said officials could now confirm Sinwar was "killed today by IDF [Israeli Defence Forces] soldiers".

Mr Katz added that his death was a "great military and moral achievement for Israel".

"The elimination of Sinwar creates an opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages and a potential change that could lead to a new reality in Gaza - without Hamas and without Iranian control."

It comes after photographs circulated online earlier claimed to show Sinwar's dead body.

The images have not been independently verified.

If he has died as claimed, it would mean Israel has eliminated its main target since it began strikes and ground invasions in Gaza in response to the Hamas incursion last year.

The Israeli military said in a statement earlier today that officials were checking the possibility that Sinwar had died.

It added: "During IDF operations in Gaza, three terrorists were eliminated...

"In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with required caution."

Hamas has not yet commented on the reports, but sources from the group, quoted by Reuters news agency, said there were indications he had been killed.

US officials previously told Sky News' US partner NBC News that the Israeli mission seemed to have been carried out on Wednesday, possibly in Rafah.

They added that the US had not been involved and did not provide intelligence, with senior Pentagon officials only finding out after the operation had been carried out.

US sources believed that, if confirmed, the killing of Sinwar was a "lucky break" for the Israeli military, NBC also reported.

Sinwar took over full leadership of Hamas after the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, who was the political leader of the group, in Iran in July.

He has believed to have been hiding in the network of tunnels beneath Gaza since the militant group's attack on Israel last year.

US President Joe Biden has been briefed on Israel's investigation into whether it has killed the Hamas leader, and US officials have been in close contact with Israeli officials throughout Thursday morning, according to a senior administration official.

SINWAR'S DEATH COULD MARK THE COLLAPSE OF ANY REMAINING HAMAS RESISTANCE IN GAZA

If Sinwar's death is confirmed it would be a very, very significant moment in the war.

I think it will have significant consequences. You have two aspects to it. Firstly, there's still fighting on the ground itself between Israeli forces and what remains of Hamas in Gaza on a daily basis.

Currently it is mainly focused on northern Gaza.

You would assume that if Sinwar is confirmed to have been killed, given that so many other senior commanders have been killed over recent months, that what we might see is a collapse of any remaining Hamas resistance in Gaza.

And then in relation to the hostages captured by Hamas on 7 October last year, Sinwar had become the point man on Hamas' side for any hostage negotiations.

Any developments in hostage negotiations had to go through him, through quite a long-winded route, because he was, we assume, spending so much time underground, he would have been very aware of the security surrounding any communications he had with the outside world.

But events, discussions, negotiations that have been going on in Cairo, in Doha or elsewhere would ultimately have to led back to Sinwar and it was the working assumption of late that he was not willing to enter into a ceasefire deal and a hostage release deal with Israel.

Many people blame Sinwar for why there are 101 hostages still in Gaza and there has been no hostage deal.

If he has been eliminated, it's hard to say whether that will bring about some acceleration in the hostage negotiations. It's really hard to say, because I don't know who the negotiators would now speak to.

It comes as Israeli forces continued a more than week-old major air and ground assault in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza.

An Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinians on Thursday, killing at least 28 people, including five children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.

The war in Gaza is now more than a year old - with Israel having killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in response to Hamas' incursion on 7 October last year, according to the Gaza health ministry.

Hamas killed some 1,200 people and captured around 250 hostages when its militants entered Israel on 7 October.

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/israeli-military-says-it-is-checking-possibility-it-has-killed-hamas-leader-yahya-sinwar-13235269

Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar.

Israel Defense Forces

Nice one

I hope that greedy basta¥d nasrallah left you some virgins to dig cos we all know you have specialty in crawling into holes

A very big congratulations to the IDF...same fate awaits all terr0rists and their sympathizers

With Israel, terrorists only run but can't hide.

Just like Nasrallah, haniyeh. Died like cowards running from one tunnel to another.
They were called dead men walking for a reason. Israel will always get to it's enemies.

The October 7 mastermind, got what was coming to him - buried under rubble like a coward. This sends a strong message: harm Israel or its citizens, and you'll face consequences, no matter how hard you hide. Hamas, Hezbollah, Nasrallah, Haniyeh, all gone!

Some other folks were also eliminated alongside Sinwar, they all celebrated October 7 and even prayed in their various mansion. Now was October 7 worth it? No. Will there ever be a Palestine? Doubt it. Terrorists will all be destroyed and crushed.

No amount of online noise or sympathy changes the outcome. Israel always emerges victorious, eliminating its enemies. To those who doubted Israel's capabilities, eat your words!
Today's a great day, and one less terrorist in the world. Madridguy, motoayinde,and others here's Israel eliminating your heroes.

Am Yisrael Chai!🇮🇱

Fear Israel. See how he was killed like a rat. See teeth like burnt bush meat.

Islamic terrorists Nigerian branch will cry on this thread 2night.

Most Banks are currently doing system upgrades.

Expect fraudsters to take advantage of this development.

They will call you to ask for your
Date of Birth.
Your BVN
Your NIN
Etc.

They will tell you that because of the system upgrades, some of your details are missing and will be demanding personal bank details from you

No Bank customer care will EVER ask for those details over the phone.

Be on the alert!

Israel no dey joke with this people o ...
It's not a running your mouth war ..

A thousand salutes to sharp shooter Israel.

Congratulations to the IDF. The white beard man in Tehran is next

Dead men tells no tale

Rip

Yahya Sinwar died on the battlefield … fighting for the freedom of his people from the clutches of monsters who massacred them and stole their land because according to them “God told them to.”

How can God tell you to steal someone else's land and property?

These so-called Jews are Europeans who were chased out of Europe. They then went to the Middle East and set up a country on another person’s land, claiming they are following God’s commandments as written in the Torah (the Jewish holy book).

Victory to the resistance. We move.

Good news. This is what we want to be hearing

The best news so far, look how he had gone to enjoy with his virgins, they should double the virgins for him maybe 140 will be a good one. No peace for the wicked Israel is the only moral country in the world fighting against the axis of evil 😈.

Remember, this is the same Yahya Sinwar they told us was hiding in tunnels and had surrounded himself with hostages so that Israel won’t bomb him. He was killed on the battlefield fighting against IDF soldiers. He was not hiding in tunnels and did not surround himself with hostages.

Despite being a commander, he remained in the trenches fighting side by side with his men. He was not in the tunnels and did not surround himself with any hostage as they claim. Yahya Sinwar fought and fell like a true soldier and leader. Victory to the resistance ✌️

A brutalized death

If you check the location of Israel on a map, you will notice how they are surrounded by Arab countries in the middle east and yet impenetrable and can't be subdued....
Leave cho cho cho, the God of Israel never sleeps nor slumber 🔥
And they have the most effective secret service in the world, the mossad. Go and verify.


Who buy Israel market must collect...woto woto

Israel confirmed it?
Has Hamas confirmed it?
TERRORIST Zionist pigs confirming nonsense.

Even if true,

Sinwar is not just a person
Sinwar is a MOVEMENT! .

FOR EVERY ONE FREEDOM FIGHTER LEADER KILLED, A HUNDRED MORE WILL RISE.

ISRA HELL IS A TIKING TIME BOMB TERRORIST STATE AND SOON, IT WILL BE COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND THOSE TERRORIST EUROPEAN MIGRANTS WILL LEARN THEIR LESSONS.

Both Israel and the Arabs should perish

Beautiful! If Muhammad was alive today and doing nonsense, The chosen nation would have bombed him in a rat hole he hides himself with his @ss up in the air.

Soon Islam as a religion will be decimated because the group only breeds death, destruction, hunger and poverty. Take a look at the Muslim Muslim ticket in Nigeria. That nation is doomed under Islamic leadership.

Death to Islam! Allahu Akbar

No peace for the wicked.

Ever since few individuals decided to create power our world becomes evil that we can kill one another to defend the few individuals interest.


When will this siege be over?

When will human question their belief?

Can we ever recover from this corruption in the heart of every human?
Can we ever know peace again?




I

Eheeeeeeeee I don land gidigbaaaa

Where are they

NEXT is Ayatollah. There is no where in the middle east our hand cannot reach.... Bibi said.

More will happen

It's official and it has been confirmed. The blood sucking coward who instead of coming out to fight will go and be hiding behind civilians.

To Hell with him!

All these terrorists Cut one head

3 grows back

After all him do for him allah, see as he die like common thief. Them terrorists better wisen up, live and let live.

death to all the islamic terrorist creatures
72 virgins to be disvirgined

Damn this is sooo brutal 🙂🙂