Mastermind of deadly Oct 7 last year attack on Israel Yahya Sinwar may have been killed in a recent operation: IDF

The Israeli military has said that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar — who ordered the deadly October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to the killing of at least 1200 people might have been killed in a recent operation in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in a statement on Oct 17 said that three militants were recently killed in a targeted attack on a building and It is highly likely Sinwar was one among them.

"During a recent operation in Gaza, three terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and the Israel Securities Authority are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed," IDF said.

"In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution," added the statement.

Meanwhile, two of Israel’s broadcasters — KAN and N12 News on Oct 17 were also cited Israeli officials as saying Sinwar was dead.

According to broadcasters, visual evidence suggested it was likely that one of the dead men was Sinwar and DNA tests were being conducted to confirm the identity. Israel has samples of Sinwar’s DNA from his period — 1998-2011 — in an Israeli jail.

Pertinently, Sinwar became the leader of Hamas following the assassination of former leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in August this year. He has not been seen in public since the Hamas attacks, and is believed to be hiding in the extensive network of tunnels beneath Gaza, according to media reports.

Meanwhile, members of Israel’s security cabinet have been informed that Sinwar is very likely dead, two officials were quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

Israel has also notified United States military officials about the potential death of the Hamas leader and passed along photos of what could be his dead body, a US defense official was quoted as saying by the news agency.

Also on Oct 17, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, quoting the Jewish holy book — Torah, said that its enemies can't hide.

"You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword," he wrote on X. "Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them," Gallant added.

Siwar (61) is one of the few surviving militant leaders of the Iran-backed militant group Hamas. If the IDF confirms Sinwar's killing, it would be a huge military success for Israel in its year-long war with Hamas which saw a string of high-profile assassinations of prominent leaders of the militant group in recent months.

Jailed by Israel since 1998, Sinwar was released in a prisoner swap in 2011. He had been in favor of armed confrontation with the Jewish state over diplomatic initiatives. He joined Hamas in the late 1980s, and was instrumental in strengthening its military wing — Al-Qassam Brigades.

Last month, Israel killed Hasan Nasrallah, leader of the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement, as well as much of the top leadership of the group’s military wing.

Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 last year, killing at least 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages in Gaza. Since then, Israel has killed more than 42,000 people, turned much of Gaza into rubble, and displaced most of its population.