What We Know—and Don’t Know—About the Death of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar

On Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who is said to have orchestrated the Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, in the Gaza Strip. 

“Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar,” the IDF posted to their official X account on Thursday afternoon.

This came hours after the IDF stated that they were “checking the possibility” of Sinwar being among three militants killed during an exchange of fire with the IDF in Gaza on Wednesday.

“During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated,” the IDF said in a statement Thursday. The original statement also said that there were “no signs of the presence of hostages in the area.” 

Who was Yahya Sinwar?

Sinwar, 62, was raised to the role of Hamas’ top leader following the assassination of previous Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July in Tehran by an apparent Israeli strike. Since then, Sinwar has been regarded as by far the most influential leader in power in Gaza and has been called the “mastermind” behind the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel that left 1,200 people dead and saw more than 250 people taken as hostages.

Sinwar was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in southwestern Gaza, and joined Hamas at a young age. In 1989, he was convicted of abducting and killing two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians he suspected were in cahoots, and served 22 years in prison in Israel. 

Sinwar was eventually released in a 2011 prisoner exchange that freed Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, at which point Sinwar returned to his role with Hamas. He then ascended to a leadership position in Gaza in 2017.

Sinwar’s death was a main objective for Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his office have stated that the search for Hamas leaders and ending their “governing capabilities” have been at the forefront of their operations in Gaza—operations which, according to Gaza health officials, have killed 41,000 Palestinians, the majority of them women and children, since the war began. Further, Israeli strikes have leveled much of the Strip and driven 90% of the Palestinian population from their homes and brought over 1.8 million people to crisis levels of hunger, according to the Integrated Food Security Classification.

Israeli Defense Minister Yael Gallant took to X to provide a vague, but pointed, post before the IDF confirmed Sinwar’s death.

“Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them,” he wrote. 

Israeli President Isaac Herzog posted on X after the confirmation of Sinwar’s death that he “commend[s]” the IDF for “eliminating” Sinwar.”

“Now, more than ever, we must act in every way possible to bring back the 101 hostages who are still being held in horrific conditions by Hamas terrorists in Gaza,” the statement continued. 

Confirmation of Sinwar’s death comes amid a week-old major air and ground offensive in the Jabaliya refugee camp in northern Gaza. On Thursday, an Israeli strike hit a school sheltering displaced Palestinians, killing at least 28 people, according to Gaza’s health authorities.