On October 18, reports from various foreign media indicated that Israeli officials confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, during a military operation in the Gaza Strip. Following this announcement, Israeli media shared more details about the “final moments” of Sinwar’s life.
According to the Israel Times, at around 10 AM local time on the morning of October 16, a soldier observed suspicious activity at a building in the Tel Sultan neighborhood of Rafah and alerted his commanding officer, who then ordered the troops to open fire on the structure.
Later that day, at approximately 3 PM, a drone detected three individuals exiting the building and heading towards another nearby structure, with two of them leading the way for the third person.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) fired again, injuring one of the targets. Two of the individuals managed to take cover in another building, while the third—later identified as Sinwar—found refuge in a different location. IDF tanks and other units continued to engage both buildings.
Reports state that Sinwar retreated to the second floor of the building, where a tank fired another round, prompting a troop search in the area. Sinwar reportedly threw two grenades during this confrontation, although one of them exploded without harm.
The IDF retreated and deployed a drone to scout the room. The drone identified an injured Sinwar, who attempted to throw a “stick” at it. Just then, Israeli forces launched another tank shell.
A soldier recollected that as the drone entered the damaged building, Sinwar tried to throw an object to knock it down. Unfortunately for him, he was struck and killed in the latest barrage of gunfire.
It wasn’t until the following morning, on October 17, that the Israeli soldiers, after inspecting the scene, realized they had killed Sinwar. To confirm his identity, the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) collected DNA and fingerprints. Photographic evidence revealed that Sinwar was found with cash and an ID card in his possession.
On the evening of October 17, the IDF and Shin Bet issued a joint statement confirming the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during the military action in Gaza. As of now, there has been no response from Hamas regarding this event.
