Sinwar is dead: Israel PM Netanyahu confirms death of Hamas chief

Tel Aviv [Israel], Oct 17: Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday confirmed that Hamas chief and one of the masterminds behind the horrific October 7 attacks last year, Yahya Sinwar, is dead, the Times of Israel reported.

The Prime Minister also instructed his aides to inform the families of Israeli hostages about the death of the Hamas chief.

Earlier today, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) confirmed that three terrorists have been killed during its operations in Gaza, among whom was Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who has now been confirmed dead.

IDF shared a post on X and wrote, "During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar."

This development comes weeks after Israel killed another high-profile leader, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, through airstrikes in Lebanon.

Earlier, another senior Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh, died in Iran. Though Tehran and Hamas have accused Israel of the attack, Israel has neither accepted nor denied the charge.

Recently, the IDF eliminated several high-ranking Hamas officials, including Rawhi Mushtaha, Head of the Hamas government in Gaza, and Sameh al-Siraj, who held the security portfolio in Hamas' political bureau.

On Tuesday, the IDF said some 20 Hamas operatives were killed in airstrikes and close-quarters combat in Jabaliya over the past day, the Times of Israel reported.

Troops also located and destroyed a weapons depot and other weapons amid the fighting, according to the military.

"The operation will continue as long as necessary, while systematically striking and thoroughly destroying the terror infrastructure in the area," the military said.

On Monday, the IDF called on Palestinians in northern Gaza's Beit Hanoun, Jabaliya, and Beit Lahiya to evacuate to the Israeli-designated humanitarian zone in the Strip's south, as per the Times of Israel.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the IDF and Shin Bet security agency said that three Hamas terrorists who participated in the October 7 onslaught were killed in airstrikes in recent days.