Yahya Sinwar, the elusive Hamas leader widely credited with masterminding the Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel, was confirmed dead Thursday, ending a yearlong manhunt for the militant chief.
The Israel Defense Forces said Sinwar was killed by soldiers in an operation in southern Gaza on Wednesday.
The only sighting of him before his death was in grainy footage taken on Oct. 10, 2023, three days after Hamas' assault, according to the Israeli military.
It showed him fleeing with his family into a tunnel, one of a large network build by Hamas under Gaza, which the militant group used to smuggle weapons, hide out from Israeli attacks and keep Israeli hostages captive.
They were displaced in what Palestinians call the Nakba, “catastrophe” in Arabic, of 1948, when around 700,000 people were forced from their homes in the founding of Israel.
Persons:
Yahya Sinwar, masterminding, Sinwar, Osama Bin Laden, ” Matthew Levitt, ” Sinwar, Khan Younis
Organizations:
Israel Defense Forces, Washington Institute for Near, Policy, NBC News
Locations:
Israel, Gaza, Iran, United States, Al, Palestinian, Ashkelon