Israel-Hamas war: Everything to know about terrorist leader Yahya Sinwar | LiveNOW from FOX

Who was Yahya Sinwar, and what role did he play within Hamas?
Hamas terror chief Yahya Sinwar has been killed during an Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced Thursday.

The IDF and Israel's Shin Bet intelligence agency released a joint statement saying it can "confirm that after a year-long pursuit, yesterday (Wednesday), October 16, 2024, IDF soldiers from the Southern Command eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip."

"Yahya Sinwar planned and executed the October 7th Massacre, promoted his murderous ideology both before and during the war, and was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis," the statement added. "Yahya Sinwar was eliminated after hiding for the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday following the confirmation of Sinwar's death that Hamas suffered a "heavy blow" but the war in Gaza is not yet over. Netanyahu added that "Hamas will no longer rule Gaza" and "this is the beginning of the day after Hamas, and this is an opportunity for you, the residents of Gaza, to finally break free from its tyranny."

Netanyahu also said Sinwar "ran away in fear from our soldiers" prior to being killed.

"He told you he was a lion, but in reality, he was hiding in a dark den — and he was killed when he fled in a panic from our soldiers," Netanyahu said in a televised message.

"The darkness has been retreating and the light has been rising," he said.
Referred to by Israel as the Butcher of Khan Younis for his violent and cruel torture methods against his enemies, both Israeli and Palestinian, Sinwar, 61, is widely seen as being behind the massacre of Israeli civilians carried out by thousands of Hamas militants on Oct. 7.

The IDF and Shin Bet said earlier Thursday, "During IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated" and that it was "checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar."

An Israel Army Radio report said Thursday that Sinwar was killed during a battle with Israeli soldiers.

The soldiers had spotted suspected terrorists in Gaza and opened fire before the individuals fled into a building, according to the report. It added that a tank then fired a shell at the building, causing it to collapse.
When the soldiers went inside to examine the aftermath, they found three bodies — one of which ultimately has been identified as Sinwar.
#YahyaSinwar #Hamas #IsraelHamasWar #TerroristLeader #MiddleEastConflict #LiveNOW #BreakingNews #WarUpdate #SecurityCrisis #GazaConflict