10 months ago
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(NewsNation) — Hamas person Yahya Sinwar, 1 of the masterminds down the Oct. 7, 2023, attack connected Israel, has been killed, the Israeli subject confirmed Thursday.
"Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) wrote connected X.
Sinwar — who had been the de facto caput of Hamas since Ismail Haniyeh was killed successful July — was a U.S.-designated terrorist and had been astatine the apical of Israel's most-wanted database since the commencement of the Israel-Hamas war a twelvemonth ago.
He was 1 of the main architects of Hamas' Oct. 7 onslaught connected Israel that killed astir 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw astatine slightest 250 others taken hostage.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz called Sinwar’s sidesplitting a “military and motivation accomplishment for the Israeli army," saying it would “create the anticipation to instantly merchandise the hostages,” successful a connection shared with The Associated Press.
Hamas had not confirmed Sinwar's decease arsenic of aboriginal Thursday afternoon.
Here's what we cognize astir Sinwar.
Who was Yahya Sinwar?
Sinwar was calved successful 1962 successful a exile campy successful the Gaza municipality of Khan Younis. He was an aboriginal subordinate of Hamas, which was formed successful 1987.
Later, helium went connected to signifier the group's subject wing, the Qassam Brigades, which became known for sending termination bombers into Israel and firing rockets from Gaza into Israeli towns.
Sinwar developed a estimation for brutality and earned the nickname "the butcher of Khan Younis" aft helium admitted to sidesplitting 12 suspected collaborators.
In 1988, Sinwar was arrested by Israel for his violent activity. He was sentenced to 4 beingness presumption for abducting and murdering 2 Israeli soldiers but was aboriginal released successful 2011 arsenic portion of a captive swap for kidnapped Israeli worker Gilad Shalit.
After his release, Sinwar returned to Gaza, wherever helium roseate to power. The U.S. State Department designated Sinwar a planetary violent successful 2015.
By 2017, Sinwar had been named the caller person of Hamas successful Gaza, with The New York Times describing him arsenic a "militant hard-liner."
"He carries a estimation arsenic a harsh enforcer of loyalty wrong the group, and arsenic an unstinting force of Israel," the Times wrote.
In May, the International Criminal Court’s authoritative sought an apprehension warrant for Sinwar for his alleged relation successful the Oct. 7 attack.
According to the AP, Sinwar was killed successful Rafah aft an Israeli vessel launched a ammunition astatine a building, causing it to collapse.
Photos of Sinwar published by Israeli media amusement a antheral wearing a bulletproof vest, surrounded by grenades, lying successful the rubble of a gathering with a caput wound, the AP reported.
The Associated Press and NewsNation's Robert Sherman contributed to this report.
