Israel may have eliminated Hamas leader in Gaza Strip
Photo: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (Getty Images)
Israeli Defense Forces killed three terrorists in the Gaza Strip. One of them may be Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, according to the IDF and The Times of Israel.
“Initial report - During IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” Israel said in a statement.
The military also clarified that there were no signs of hostages in the building where the terrorists were eliminated.
The IDF promised to disclose more information later.
According to The Times of Israel, citing an unnamed senior Israeli official, “there is a high likelihood” that the IDF eliminated Sinwar.
Yahya Sinwar
Yahya Sinwar was born in 1962. At the age of 25, he participated in the murder of Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel.
He spent more than 20 years - from 1988 to 2011 - in Israeli prisons for 12 murders. The militant was released as part of a deal. Already in 2012, he was elected a member of the Hamas political bureau, and in 2017, he became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
In May of this year, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested an arrest warrant for Sinwar.
On September 27, Israel launched an air strike on the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. He led the group for decades.
