Israel confirms it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar – after ‘images of his body’ emerged | World news

Israel says it has confirmed the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar – after photos emerged claiming his body was buried in the rubble.

Warning: This story contains an image that readers may find disturbing

The 62-year-old, who led Hamas who has been active in Gaza since 2017, is considered the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attacks.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz made the claim after DNA tests and other checks, such as dental records, on a body found in Gaza.

He said officials could now confirm that Sinwar “was killed today by IDF (Israeli Armed Forces) soldiers.”

Mr. Katz added that his death was a “great military and moral achievement for Israel.”

“The elimination of Sinwar creates an opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages and a potential change that could lead to a new reality in Gaza – without Hamas and without Iranian control.”

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It comes after photos previously circulated online claimed to show Sinwar’s dead body.

Sky News has carried out verification checks on the image and we believe the body in it resembles Yahya Sinwar.

His death means Israel has eliminated its main target since it began attacks and ground invasions in Gaza in response to Hamas’ incursion last year.

Before announcing that it believed it had killed Sinwar, the Israeli military said in a statement: “During IDF operations in Gaza, three terrorists were eliminated…

“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of hostages in the area. The forces operating in the area continue to operate with caution.”

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Hamas has not yet officially responded to the reports, but group sources quoted by Reuters news agency said there were indications he had been killed.

US officials previously told Sky News’ US partner NBC News that the Israeli mission appeared to have been carried out on Wednesday, possibly in Rafah.

They added that the US was not involved and provided no intelligence, with senior Pentagon officials only finding out after the operation was carried out.

US sources believed that, assuming the Israeli confirmation is accurate, Sinwar’s killing was a “lucky windfall” for the Israeli military, NBC also reported.

Sinwar took over full leadership of Hamas after the assassination Ismail Haniyehwho was the group’s political leader, in Iran in July.

He is said to have been hiding in the network of tunnels under Gaza since the militant group’s attack on Israel last year.

American president Joe Biden has been informed and U.S. officials were in close contact with Israeli officials throughout Thursday, a senior administration official said.

It comes as Israeli forces continue a more than week-old major air and ground assault on the Jabaliya refugee camp in the north Gaza.

An Israeli attack hit a school housing displaced Palestinians on Thursday. killing at least 28 peopleincluding five children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

The war in Gaza is now more than a year old. Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in response to the Hamas incursion on October 7 last year, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Hamas killed about 1,200 people and captured about 250 hostages when its militants entered Israel on October 7.