Is Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Dead? Israel 'Checking Possibility' As IDF Kills 3 In Gaza

At least three persons were killed in an operation by Israeli forces in Gaza on Thursday and there are reports that one of them was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks in Israel last year.

However, Israel did not confirm Sinwar’s death but said they are checking the possibility.

According to CNN sources, the Israeli military and intelligence agencies are currently conducting DNA analysis to verify whether the body in question is that of Sinwar.

Israel has been keeping the US in the loop about the developments, a US official told The Times of Israel.

Amid buzz about Sinwar’s death, Israel defence minister Yoav Gallant posted a cryptic message on X and said,  “We will reach every terrorist – and eliminate him.”

The IDF said , there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the building where these three people were killed.

“During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed. In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution,” IDF said on X.

Who Is Yahya Sinwar?

Since Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7, Yahya Sinwar has been at the top of Israel’s most wanted list.

Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks on Israel, became the chief of Hamas in August after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an explosion in Iran. Born in 1962, Sinwar was one of the early members of Hamas when it was founded in 1987. He previously led the militant group’s security branch and was known for his ruthless tactics against suspected collaborators.

Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel in the late 1980s for killing 12 individuals accused of being informants and received four life sentences. While incarcerated, he organized protests for better conditions and studied Hebrew and Israeli society. In 2008, he overcame brain cancer with treatment from Israeli doctors.

He was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas. Alongside Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s armed wing, Sinwar is believed to have orchestrated the October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis. This assault triggered a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities.

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