Hamas sources indicate that Yahya Sinwar may have been killed in an Israeli operation in Gaza.

Israeli police have stated that they are conducting DNA tests to verify whether Sinwar has indeed been killed.

A joint statement from the Israel Police Spokesperson’s Unit and the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit reads:

“In light of recent reports regarding the potential identification of Yahya Sinwar’s death, the Israel Police, IDF, and Shin Bet are diligently working to confirm his identity.”
“Currently, one of the several required evaluations has been completed for conclusive identification. Dental records have been sent to the police forensics lab, and DNA analysis is underway.”
“Once these procedures are finalized, we will be able to confirm the death. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.”

Members of Israel’s security cabinet have been informed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who played a key role in the October 7, 2023 attack that initiated the Gaza conflict, is likely deceased, according to two officials familiar with the situation. The Israeli military is investigating the possibility that Sinwar, considered Israel’s most wanted adversary, was among three militants killed during an operation in the Gaza Strip.

Two Israeli broadcasters, KAN and N12 News, reported that Israeli officials indicated Sinwar has been killed. The Palestinian militant group Hamas has not yet issued a statement regarding this claim. Should this information be verified, Sinwar’s death would significantly bolster the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid the ongoing conflict in the Palestinian territories, which has now extended into its second year. Israel has been conducting continuous airstrikes and ground operations aimed at achieving Netanyahu’s objective of dismantling Hamas.

On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza resulted in the deaths of 19 Palestinians, including children at a school in the Jabalia camp, which is currently housing displaced individuals, according to a Gaza health ministry official who spoke to Reuters. Sinwar, who assumed leadership of Hamas after the assassination of political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last July, was thought to be hiding within the extensive network of tunnels constructed by Hamas over the last twenty years.

If confirmed, his death could escalate tensions in the Middle East, where the likelihood of a broader conflict has increased. Over the past month, Israel has initiated a ground campaign in Lebanon and is preparing a response to a missile attack on October 1, attributed to Iran, a supporter of both Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, the elimination of the individual responsible for last year’s attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people in Israel and the capture of over 250 hostages, might also facilitate progress in stalled negotiations aimed at resolving the war he instigated, which has claimed the lives of more than 42,000 Palestinians.

Israel’s Army Radio reported that the incident took place during a ground operation in Rafah, located in the southern Gaza Strip, where Israeli forces killed three militants and retrieved their bodies. The report indicated that visual evidence pointed to the possibility that one of the deceased was Sinwar, and DNA testing is currently underway.

Israel possesses DNA samples from Sinwar from his previous incarceration in an Israeli prison. The statement noted, “At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.” Sinwar, known for his brutal enforcement actions against Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel, gained notoriety as a leader within the prison system.

After serving 22 years for orchestrating the abduction and murder of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians, he emerged as a figure of local admiration and quickly ascended within the ranks of Hamas, committing himself to the goal of eliminating Israel.

FALL BY THE SWORD

Amid speculation regarding Sinwar’s potential demise, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant shared a message on the social media platform X, featuring a biblical reference.
“‘You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword.’ – Leviticus 26. Our adversaries cannot evade us. We will track them down and eliminate them.”
The post included images of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in Beirut last month, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, killed in August, with a vacant space for a third image positioned between them. All three figures were marked out in red.
Al-Majd, a Hamas-affiliated website that typically covers security matters, advised Palestinians to await updates regarding Sinwar directly from the group rather than relying on Israeli media, which it claimed sought to undermine their morale.
Israel has successfully targeted multiple Hamas commanders in Gaza, as well as high-ranking Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, including Nasrallah, inflicting significant damage on its primary adversaries.

MULTI-FRONT CONFLICT

On Thursday, Israeli airstrikes in northern Gaza resulted in the deaths of 19 Palestinians, including children, at a school located in the Jabalia camp, which is currently housing displaced individuals, as reported by a Gaza health ministry official to Reuters. The Israeli military stated that the strike targeted a gathering of militants from Hamas and the Islamic Jihad group within the compound, asserting that the operation was precise. Hamas, however, refuted claims that the school was being used for military purposes.

Additionally, Israel initiated a ground and air offensive in Lebanon earlier this month aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah, following a year in which the Iran-backed group launched attacks across the border in support of Hamas in Gaza. “War has become a part of our reality. We understand that Lebanon is rebuilt every decade, only to face destruction again,” remarked Abdelnaser, a resident displaced from the southern suburbs of Beirut, a stronghold of Hezbollah that has faced repeated Israeli bombardments.

According to the health ministry, Israeli actions in Lebanon have resulted in at least 2,350 fatalities over the past year, with more than 1.2 million individuals displaced. In contrast, approximately 50 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have lost their lives during the same timeframe in northern Israel.