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Doha – The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) announced on Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed in Gaza. According to the IOF radio, Sinwar was among three Hamas members killed during an operation in the Gaza Strip.
A joint statement from the IOF spokesperson and Shin Bet security service said that during an operation in Gaza, IOF fighters “eliminated three terrorists.” The forces reportedly identified a group of Hamas members in a building and opened fire, leading to an exchange of gunfire. Upon entering the building, they found one of the deceased to be resembling Sinwar.
IOF sources stated that the building where Sinwar was residing was surrounded. A military vest filled with hand grenades was reportedly found on the body. Israel’s Channel 14 reported that Sinwar’s body was discovered by the IOF in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah.
The IOF deployed a drone to the building in Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, which identified what could allegedly be Sinwar’s body before the forces arrived. Investigators who had previously interrogated Sinwar during his imprisonment in Israel were brought in to identify the body.
DNA and dental tests were then conducted on the body, with IOF sources stating the results were positive.
Sinwar, born in 1962 in Khan Younis refugee camp, was a prominent figure in Hamas. He was arrested multiple times by Israel and sentenced to four life terms before being released in a 2011 prisoner exchange deal.
During his 23-year imprisonment, Sinwar utilized his time to learn Hebrew and gain deep insights into Israeli mentality. He authored several books and translations on political, security, and literary topics.
Notably, he translated into Arabic “The Shin Bet Among the Ruins” by Carmi Gillon, a book about Israel’s internal security agency. Sinwar also wrote “Hamas: Trial and Error,” which discusses Hamas’ evolution over time.
His time in prison allowed him to develop a comprehensive understanding of Israeli society and politics, which he later leveraged in his leadership role within Hamas.
Sinwar was elected as Hamas’ leader in Gaza in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. In August, he was chosen as the head of Hamas’ political bureau following the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh.
Israel considers Sinwar the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 operation named “Al-Aqsa Flood,” which inflicted significant losses on both Israeli civilians and occupation forces, as well as shook the image of the country’s intelligence and security apparatus globally.
Following this, Israel declared that eliminating Sinwar was one of the main strategic objectives of its military operation in Gaza, dubbed “Swords of Iron.”
