On October 17, 2024, the Israeli military announced on Thursday that they are conducting DNA testing to investigate whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed. This comes after the Israeli forces killed three Hamas militants in a military operation in Gaza, with one of them suspected to be Sinwar.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated in a release on Thursday, “During a military operation in the Gaza Strip, the IDF eliminated three terrorists. The IDF and the Israel Security Agency (ISA) are verifying the possibility that one of the terrorists is Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorist cannot be confirmed.”
The IDF noted that there were no signs of hostages in the building where the three Hamas militants were killed.
The military operation took place in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip, although the exact location was not disclosed by the Israeli military.
“The forces operating in the area continue to act with the necessary caution,” the Israeli side added, saying that more details will be disclosed later.
According to reports from the Israeli military radio, visual evidence indicates that one of the slain men is likely Sinwar, with DNA testing currently underway. Israel has Sinwar’s DNA sample from his time in an Israeli prison.
Israel accused Sinwar of being the mastermind behind the Hamas attack in southern Israel on October 7, 2023. Sinwar took over from former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh after he was assassinated in Iran in August, following which the October 7 incident led to around 1,200 deaths, mostly civilians, with approximately 250 people held hostage in Gaza by Hamas.
Since the retaliatory actions against Hamas began, Israel has vowed to kill Sinwar. Throughout the conflict, Sinwar has remained elusive, believed to be hiding in the complex tunnel system used by Hamas militants in Gaza.
Since the outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Hamas on October 7, 2023, Sinwar, as Israel’s top wanted man, has not been seen.
Hamas has not immediately commented on Thursday’s events.
US National Security spokesperson John Kirby stated that the US has received reports of Sinwar’s potential death, but the possibility has not been independently confirmed.