Israel Hamas confirms death of its leader al-Sinwar

The Palestinian terrorist organization Hamas has confirmed the death of its leader Jihia al-Sinwar. According to military sources, Israeli soldiers killed the mastermind of the massacre on October 7, 2023 in the Gaza Strip.

The deputy head of the politburo of the Islamist organization, Chalil al-Haja, announced in a statement on the Hamas-affiliated TV station Al Aksa that he mourned the death of the "martyr" Sinwar. Haja is also Hamas' most important negotiator outside the Gaza Strip.

Sinwar was considered the mastermind behind the bloody attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which Islamist terrorists killed more than 1,200 people and deported another 250 to the Gaza Strip. Immediately after the massacre, Israel's army and intelligence services opened the hunt for the chief planner. Sinwar is said to have hidden for a long time in the extensive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip - allegedly always surrounded by hostages as a human shield.

Media published photos of the body lying among the rubble

According to the Israeli army, Sinwar was killed on Wednesday in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. After he and two other gunmen were discovered by chance, Sinwar hid in a house and an Israeli tank fired a grenade into the building, reported the newspaper "The Times of Israel".

The military published images from a drone showing a masked and dust-covered man - allegedly Sinwar - sitting on an armchair in a bombed-out building while still alive. As the drone approaches, he throws a stick at the remote-controlled aircraft. The video breaks off at this point. Israeli media later published photos of Sinwar's presumed body lying among the rubble with severe head injuries.

Sinwar had been the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip since 2017. After the targeted killing of political Hamas leader Ismail Haniya by Israel in July of this year, he took over the entire leadership of the organization. There has been speculation as to whether his brother Mohammed will now follow in his footsteps.

SDA