Israel’s foreign minister and military have confirmed that Israeli troops in Gaza have killed Hamas’ top leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the current conflict.
Sinwar has topped Israel’s most wanted list since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas conflict just over a year ago, and his killing strikes a powerful blow to the militant group. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas of his death.
Foreign Minister Katz called Sinwar’s killing a “military and moral achievement for the Israeli army.”
“The assassination of Sinwar will create the possibility to immediately release the hostages and to bring a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza – without Hamas and without Iranian control,” he said in a statement.
Israeli Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari also confirmed Sinwar’s death and said it occurred Wednesday.
“After completing the process of identifying the body, it can now be confirmed that he was eliminated,” Hagari wrote in a statement in Hebrew.
More to come…