The Hamas Islamist movement confirmed that its leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in an Israeli military attack in the Gaza Strip.
Hamas will not release the hostages it seized during its attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, until the conflict in Gaza ends, Khalil al-Hayya, a Hamas official in Qatar, said on October 18. He called on Israel to withdraw from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. The official also asserted that Hamas will “regain strength” after the killing of its leader Sinwar.
Earlier on October 18, a senior Hamas official, Mr. Basem Naim, declared that Hamas "cannot be destroyed".
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on October 17 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, whom Israel accuses of masterminding the attack on Israel on October 7, had been killed in an Israeli military raid. The Israeli military did not provide details about the operation or when it took place, but said Sinwar was one of three Palestinian gunmen killed. There was no sign of hostages in the building where the three gunmen were hiding.
An Israeli security official said the Israeli military conducted DNA tests to confirm Sinwar's death.
According to media in the Middle East, Mr. Khaled Mashal has become the new leader of Hamas, replacing Mr. Yahya Sinwar.