Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during fighting in Gaza with the Israeli army, the Palestinian group confirmed.
Khalil Hayya, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, said in a televised speech on Friday that the 62-year-old leader was “unwavering, courageous and fearless” and “sacrificed his life for the cause of our liberation.”
“He met his end standing, courageous, with his head held high, holding his gun, shooting until his last breath, until the last moment of his life,” he told Al-Aqsa television , affiliated with Hamas.
“Since the beginning, he was engaged in his fight as a resistance fighter. He stood behind Israeli bars and after his release in an exchange, he continued his struggle and dedication to the cause.
Hayya added that the “martyrdom” of Sinwar and the leaders who preceded him “will only increase the strength and resilience of our movement.”
He said, however, that captives held in Gaza would not return until Israel stops its attacks on Gaza and withdraws its forces from the besieged enclave.
“Hamas will continue until the establishment of the Palestinian state on all Palestinian soil with Jerusalem as its capital.”
On Thursday, the Israeli military announced that Sinwar had been killed in a surprise exchange of fire in Rafah, southern Gaza.
“The forces identified three terrorists who were going from house to house on the run,” Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari said at a press briefing. “Sinwar fled alone into one of the buildings and our forces scanned the area with a drone.”
Drone footage released by the army showed Sinwar covered in dust, sitting in an armchair, one hand badly injured and his head covered with a traditional scarf.
“We found him with a gun and 40,000 shekels ($10,750),” Hagari said.
Footage showed Sinwar throwing a stick at the approaching drone before being shot in the head.
The military conducted DNA tests, dental exams and other forensic investigations that confirmed his identity.
The Israeli army and media have regularly claimed that the Hamas leader was hiding deep in tunnels under Gaza alongside hostages captured by his fighters during the October 7 attack.
“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area,” a military statement said Thursday.
Sinwar’s death follows Israeli assassinations of other Hamas leaders and commanders.
He was named leader of the group on August 6 to succeed former political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran, the Iranian capital, on July 31.
Israel considers Sinwar the architect of the October 7 Hamas attack in southern Israel, which sparked the current conflict in Gaza in which Israeli forces have killed at least 42,500 people, according to the Ministry of Defense. Gaza Health.
Born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza, Sinwar spent half his adult life in Israeli prisons.
He was released by Israel in 2011 in a prisoner exchange for Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit along with more than 1,000 other Palestinians and was considered the highest-ranking and most prominent of all those released.
His death represents a blow to the Palestinian movement, which has been engaged in fighting with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip for more than a year.
Lebanese Hezbollah vowed to step up fighting against Israel, while Iran said the “spirit of resistance” would be strengthened by the death of its Palestinian ally.
Many world leaders hoped his death would pave the way for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of the captives.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Sinwar’s death a milestone but pledged to continue the war. “We have before us a great opportunity to stop the axis of evil and create a different future,” he said.
