(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead.
The Israeli Defense Forces confirmed Thursday that Sinwar was killed in Rafah, following a year-long manhunt after the Oct. 7 massacre. His death was publicized through photos and videos showing his lifeless body.
“Since the beginning of this war that Sinwar started on October 7 — we’ve said: Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We mean it,” IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a statement on X.
“Since the beginning of this war that Sinwar started on October 7 — we’ve said: Our war is with Hamas, not the people of Gaza. We mean it.”
IDF Spokesperson RAdm. Daniel Hagari on the elimination of Yahya Sinwar and our operational goals in Gaza: pic.twitter.com/OgkgUc5Bhi
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 17, 2024
Now-viral photos showed Sinwar dead, covered in dust and rubble—likely from bomb explosions. Part of his brain and fingers were blown off, while his arm twisted unnaturally.
A cord was tied around his arm, seemingly to stop the bleeding from a previous injury.
Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) October 17, 2024
Additionally, the IDF released drone footage capturing Sinwar’s last moments, also gaining viral attention on social media.
A man, identified as Sinwar, is seen sitting on a sofa, holding a stick with his face partially covered. The cornered Hamas leader then throws the stick at the drone before the video cuts off.
Raw footage of Yahya Sinwar’s last moments: pic.twitter.com/GJGDlu7bie
— LTC Nadav Shoshani (@LTC_Shoshani) October 17, 2024
Sinwar was widely regarded as the mastermind behind the brutal terrorist attacks on Israel’s southern region, near the Gaza border.
The Oct. 7, 2023, assault resulted in the vicious deaths of around 1,200 people, including American citizens.
During the hours-long attack, Hamas militants terrorized men, women, Israeli soldiers and even babies.
Some women were horrifically brutalized, with some reports detailing their breasts being cut off, their necks sliced and being gang raped.
The Oct. 7 attack also saw Hamas take several civilians hostage, prompting Israel to invade Gaza in a mission to rescue them.
Since then, pro-Palestinian activists have clutched their pearls at the fact that Israel dared to respond militarily to Hamas, a foreign-designated terrorist group, for its atrocities that day.
President Joe Biden celebrated Sinwar’s death in a statement issued on X.
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead.
This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.
Here’s my full statement. pic.twitter.com/cSe1czhd9s
— President Biden (@POTUS) October 17, 2024