The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said that Hamas’ top leader, Yahya Sinwar, was killed on Wednesday (16) after a “year-long persecution”.
Authorities reported that the Israeli Army has been operating in the southern Gaza Strip in recent weeks following intelligence information, which indicated the suspected locations of important Hamas members.
“IDF soldiers from the 828th Brigade (Bislach) operating in the area identified and eliminated three terrorists. After completing the body identification process, it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar has been eliminated”, concludes the note.
Israeli forces encountered Sinwar during a routine military operation, according to two Israeli sources. CNN .
Military radio says tank participated in the action
Israeli Army Radio reported that Yahya Sinwar died after an Israeli tank fired at a house in the early hours of Thursday morning (17).
According to the radio station, which is state-funded and operated by the Israel Defense Forces, the military detected “suspicious movement” on the upper floor of a building, and then fired at it with a tank.
Later in the morning, according to Israeli Army Radio, a drone scanned the area of the attack, and soldiers recognized Sinwar’s face in the rubble.
The IDF commented that it had previously detected “unusual activity” in the area, according to the radio station.
Israel will “pursue and eliminate” its enemies
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stated that the country will “pursue and eliminate” its enemies. The statement came as the Israeli military was analyzing whether Sinwar had been killed.
“Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them,” Gallant wrote.
Who is Yahya Sinwar?
A long-time Hamas figure, Yahya Sinwar was born in 1962 in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, south of Gaza.
He was responsible for building the group’s military arm before forming important new ties with regional Arab powers as a civilian and political leader.
Sinwar was elected to Hamas’ top decision-making body, the Politburo, in 2017 as Hamas’s political leader in Gaza.
However, he has since become the de facto leader of the Politburo, according to research by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
He has been designated a global terrorist by the US State Department since 2015 and has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom and France.
Find out more about who Yahya Sinwar was through this article.
Understand the conflict in the Gaza Strip
Israel has carried out intense airstrikes in the Gaza Strip since last year, after Hamas invaded the country and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli counts. Furthermore, the radical group holds dozens of hostages.
Hamas does not recognize Israel as a state and claims Israeli territory for Palestine.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has promised several times to destroy Hamas’ military capabilities and recover people detained in Gaza. In addition to the air offensive, the Israeli Army is carrying out land incursions into Palestinian territory. This caused much of Gaza’s population to be displaced.
The UN and several humanitarian institutions have warned of a catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, with a lack of food, medicine and the spread of diseases.
About a year into the conflict, the Israeli population took to the streets in protests against Netanyahu, accusing the prime minister of failing to reach a ceasefire agreement so the hostages could be released.
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This content was originally published in What is known about the Israeli operation that killed Yahya Sinwar, top leader of Hamas on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
