The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Friday released video footage of an operation that resulted in the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel. The footage shows tank fire targeting a building where Sinwar had been barricaded.
Sinwar, often referred to by Israel as the “Butcher of Khan Younis” for his brutal torture methods against both Israeli and Palestinian enemies, was reportedly inside the building when Israeli forces fired on it.
The IDF confirmed his death on Thursday after conducting DNA tests, dental examinations, and other forensic inquiries.
In the footage released by the IDF, Sinwar is seen covered in dust, sitting in an armchair inside a building devastated by strikes. Grainy images show him alone, severely injured with one hand, and throwing a stick at an approaching drone in his final moments.
Sinwar, widely recognised as the architect of the October 7 attacks, had masterminded the killing of 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of hundreds of others during the assault by Hamas militants.
Israel had vowed to eliminate the ‘terror leader’ after the massacre.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, after the confirmation of Sinwar’s death, declared that Hamas had suffered a “heavy blow,” but stressed that the war in Gaza was not yet over.
“Hamas will no longer rule Gaza,” Netanyahu said, adding that this was “the beginning of the day after Hamas” and an opportunity for the residents of Gaza to “break free from its tyranny.”
Sinwar’s death is a major setback for Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that has been in conflict with Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip for more than a year.