Jerusalem, 18 October, 2024: The Israeli military reported on Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in a firefight after being tracked “going from home to home” as he attempted to avoid detection in southern Gaza. His death has been described as one of the most significant blows to Hamas since the conflict escalated following the group’s attacks on October 7, 2023.
In a statement, the Israeli military confirmed, “After a year-long pursuit, yesterday (Wednesday, October 16, 2024), IDF military from the Southern Command eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip.” The statement emphasized that numerous operations conducted by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the Shin Bet internal security agency over the past year had restricted Sinwar’s movements and ultimately led to his demise.
Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, a military spokesman, later clarified that Sinwar was killed after being spotted alongside two other fighters in the Rafah district. “The forces identified three who were going from home to home on the run,” Hagari explained during a briefing. He noted that the troops engaged the group, which caused Sinwar to flee and disperse from his companions.
“Sinwar ran away alone into one of the buildings, and our forces scanned the area with a drone. Yahya Sinwar, who injured his hand during the shooting, can be seen in the footage covering his face and throwing a branch at the drone,” Hagari added.
Drone footage released by the military captured Sinwar alone in a destroyed apartment, his hand severely injured and head covered with a traditional scarf, as he threw a stick at the approaching drone. “We identified him inside a building, shot into the building, and entered to scan the area. We found him with a gun and 40,000 shekels. He was on the run, and our forces eliminated him,” Hagari stated.
Israel holds Sinwar responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attacks alongside Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. While the Israeli military claimed that Deif was killed in a strike earlier this year, this has not been confirmed by the Palestinian group.
In August, Sinwar succeeded Hamas’s former chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran on July 31. The attacks by Hamas last year resulted in the deaths of 1,206 individuals in Israel, predominantly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures that included hostages killed in captivity. In retaliation, Israeli strikes on Gaza have reportedly led to the deaths of 42,438 people, most of whom were children and women.
