Israel has announced the death of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who reportedly orchestrated the October 7, 2023, attack that killed several people.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, the death of the 61-year-old was confirmed after a series of DNA tests to verify his identity.
Sinwar was one of three terrorists killed on Wednesday in southern Gaza, the military stated.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said, “The State of Israel has brought justice with the elimination of Yahya Sinwar – a vile murderer and terrorist.”
Sinwar had been one of Israel’s key targets since the October 7, 2023, assault that disrupted the country’s security establishment and reshaped global geopolitics.
In the attack that killed about 1,200 people and led to the abduction of another 250, Hamas militants flew into Israel and struck during a festive celebration that included locals and foreigners who flew in to have a good time.
Israel had offered Sinwar safe passage out of Gaza if Hamas would release all remaining hostages and give up control of the strip.
However, reports suggest Sinwar viewed Israel’s sustained retaliatory war on Hamas as a strategic victory, despite its costs.
“We have the Israelis right where we want them,” he reportedly told Hamas negotiators, according to the Wall Street Journal in June.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had remarked that Sinwar “doesn’t care about his people and acts like a little Hitler in a bunker.”