Israeli forces kill Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar ‘by chance,’ claims Israeli media

Israeli media reported on Thursday that the Israeli army killed Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas, during routine patrols, without any reliance on intelligence information.

Reports indicated that Sinwar, Israel’s top target, was killed during a field confrontation, where he was dressed in full military uniform, contradicting previous Israeli claims that he had been hiding among Israeli prisoners in tunnels for months in tunnels in the Gaza Strip.

Earlier Thursday, the army said, in cooperation with the Shin Bet security agency, it carried out dozens of operations in recent months, which restricted Sinwar’s movements and eventually led to his death.

It added that a unit from the 828 Brigade spotted and killed three Hamas members during a clash in southern Gaza. After completing DNA tests, it was confirmed that Sinwar was among the dead.

The army said Sinwar was killed Wednesday, but his body was only discovered after the area was searched Thursday.

Although the military did not specify the location of Sinwar’s death, Israeli media reports suggested the operation took place in the southern city of Rafah.

‘Killed in routine sweeps’

The Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that a force from the army’s Bislach unit was conducting a routine sweep in Rafah, where they suspected that figures were inside a building later found to be booby-trapped.

The report said the unit fired artillery rounds and heavy gunfire at the building, killing three Hamas members without knowing that Sinwar was among them.

After a while, the soldiers began to sweep the building. Two grenades were thrown –one exploded, the other did not, according to the report.

“The troops pulled back and sent a drone, which detected an injured figure, face covered, sitting in a room and attempting to knock the drone out of the air with a stick.”

When soldiers approached the bodies of the Palestinian fighters, they noticed that one of them bore a strong resemblance to Sinwar, according to the newspaper.

The Haaretz newspaper echoed Yedioth Ahronoth’s report, stating that Sinwar’s death was “by chance.”

“There was no intelligence indicating Sinwar’s presence; what happened was by chance,” it said.

Sinwar’s belongings

Israel’s Channel 12 shared a photo of Sinwar’s belongings found after his death, which included prayer beads, two small prayer books, a passport, bullets, a small flashlight, mint candy, nail clippers and cash.

There were no Israeli hostages with Sinwar, the channel reported, contradicting claims from Israeli security agencies.

Israeli media aired videos showing Sinwar after his death, dressed in full military uniform.

‘Ready for combat’

Israel’s official public broadcaster claimed that Sinwar’s death followed increased military pressure on Hamas leaders in southern Gaza in recent weeks

The broadcaster alleged that the intensified pressure forced Sinwar to frequently move between locations in southern Gaza, leading him to be ready for a direct confrontation with Israeli forces.

It noted that Sinwar’s constant movement explained his readiness for combat, as he was armed and wearing military gear.

Sinwar reportedly engaged Israeli forces from inside a building rigged with explosives, indicating he was ready for a direct confrontation, which contradicted previous intelligence claims that he had surrounded himself with Israeli hostages.

As of 7:30 p.m. GMT, Hamas had not confirmed or denied the Israeli military’s claims regarding Sinwar’s death.

Israel’s announcement of Sinwar’s killing comes more than two months after he was selected as the leader of Hamas’ political bureau.

On Aug. 6, Hamas announced that Sinwar was chosen to succeed Ismail Haniyeh as its political chief after Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, in an attack attributed to Tel Aviv, though Israel has not officially acknowledged responsibility.

Israel views Sinwar as the mastermind behind the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, carried out by Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, against Israeli settlements and military bases near Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.

The attack caused significant human and military losses for Tel Aviv and tarnished the international reputation of its security and intelligence agencies.

As a result, Israel declared that eliminating Sinwar was a top priority in its current war on Gaza.

Earlier, Israel’s Channel 12 revealed that Shin Bet had formed a special unit to assassinate Sinwar.

Israel has continued a brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas, last October, despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

More than 42,400 people have since been killed, mostly women and children, and over 99,100 injured, according to local health authorities.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of Gaza amid an ongoing blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water and medicine.​​​​​​​

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its actions in Gaza.