Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Killed In Gaza Strike, Israel Confirms

Israel’s military on Thursday confirmed Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas whom the U.S. and Israel believe orchestrated the militant group’s attack on Israel last year, was killed in a strike in Gaza on Thursday.

Israeli Defense Forces said Sinwar was “eliminated,” after Israel’s military and the Israel Security Agency investigated whether the Hamas leader was among three militant killed during IDF operations in Gaza on Thursday

Israel Katz, Israel’s foreign minister, also confirmed Sinwar was killed Thursday, Reuters reported, adding his death “opens the possibility” for the “immediate release” of hostages.

There were no signs of Israeli hostages present in the building where the three militants were killed, according to the IDF.

Sinwar, 62, has served as Hamas’ leader in Gaza since 2017 and was named the group’s overall leader in August after Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s political chief, was killed in Iran—an attack Hamas blamed on Israel, which has not publicly acknowledged any involvement.

Senior Biden administration officials have believed that, if Sinwar was killed, Israel would end its conflict with Hamas, according to CNN.

President Joe Biden said in a statement “this is a good day” for the U.S. and Israel, and compared the relief felt across Israel to that felt in the U.S. “after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden.”