The Israel foreign minister on Thursday, October 17, claimed that Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was killed in an operation in Gaza.
However, the Hamas has not confirmed the same.
An Israeli operation in Gaza reportedly killed three alleged militants but the Israeli military could not immediately confirm the identity of those killed.
According to some reports, the body had been taken to Jerusalem to conduct DNA testing to confirm the fighter’s identity.
Israel confirmed that one of the three, identified after the reported testing was Yahya Sinwar.
The IDF also said that there was no sign of hostages in the building where it carried out the air strike. “The IDF and Shin Bet forces operating in the area continue to operate under the necessary caution,” it said.
Social media images depicted Sinwar’s deceased body. However, there was no immediate comment from Hamas.
The 62-year-old Yahya Sinwar was one of the key architects of Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. He was appointed as the group’s top leader following the July killing of Ismael Haniyeh in a suspected Israeli strike in Tehran, Iran.
According to reports, Khaled Meshaal is likely to be the new Hamas chief after Yahya Sinwar’s death.
(This is a breaking story. More details will be added as they emerge.)
