Israel’s military had previously called Sinwar a “dead man walking” but it took over a year for a manhunt for the country’s most wanted man to achieve its desired result.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said that his death, his country’s most significant victory so far in the fight against Hamas in Gaza, would not end the war.
“The war, my dear ones, is not over yet. It is difficult, and it is costing us dearly,” he said, adding: “Great challenges still lie ahead of us. We need endurance, unity, courage, and steadfastness. Together we will fight, and with God’s help – together we will win.”
Mr Netanyahu has repeatedly reiterated his war aims.
Those involve the total destruction of Hamas as a military and political entity; the freeing of the remaining hostages held by the terror group and ensuring that Gaza can no longer pose a security threat to Israel.
Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar’s deputy who lives in exile in Qatar, has vowed to keep fighting, in the face of international calls for an immediate ceasefire.
“We are continuing Hamas’s path,” he said on Friday before warning the hostages “will not return … unless the aggression against our people in Gaza stops.”