The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have released drone footage purportedly showing the final moments of Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar, killed in an IDF operation on Thursday. The video depicts Sinwar sitting on a couch amid rubble in a dilapidated house. In the footage, he is seen throwing an object at the drone moments before his death.
In a social media post following the operation, the IDF confirmed, “Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar.” Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, described Sinwar as a “mass murderer” responsible for the October 7 attack that sparked the Gaza war.
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Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Eliminated
Yahya Sinwar, aged 62, was killed during an Israeli military operation targeting Hamas leaders in Gaza. He has been blamed for orchestrating the deadliest attack in Israel’s history on October 7, 2023, which left 1,206 people dead, including many civilians, and saw over 250 hostages taken into Gaza.
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari, in a video statement, said: “Sinwar was responsible for the most brutal attack against Israel in our history. Terrorists from Gaza invaded Israel, massacred Israelis in their homes, raped our women, burned entire families alive, and took over 250 men, women, children, and babies hostage into Gaza.”
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He emphasized that Sinwar had tried to evade justice but ultimately failed, adding that 101 hostages remain in Gaza under harsh conditions. The Israeli military vowed to continue operations until all missions are accomplished.
Focus on Hamas, Not Gazan Civilians
Hagari reaffirmed that Israel’s war is with Hamas and not the people of Gaza. “We are working to increase the amount of humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medicine, to the people of Gaza who are suffering because of Yahya Sinwar,” he said, while extending condolences to families of those killed or kidnapped by Hamas.
Israeli PM Netanyahu: ‘Beginning of the End’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described Sinwar’s death as a significant step in dismantling Hamas. He previously called the killing an “important landmark in the decline of the evil rule of Hamas,” but stressed that while the war is far from over, “it’s the beginning of the end.”
Sinwar, widely regarded as the mastermind of the October 7 assault, was a top target for Israel since the start of the war. His death marks another milestone in Israel’s aggressive campaign against Hamas leadership.
