The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has released a statement saying Sinwar was killed by its troops in operation in the south of Gaza yesterday after a “year-long pursuit”.
It comes after Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz told his counterparts around the world that Sinwar was killed today.
The reason for the discrepancy is not clear.
In a statement, the IDF says Sinwar planned and executed the 7 October attack and was “responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis”.
“Yahya Sinwar was eliminated after hiding for the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip,” it says.
The Israeli military says it has been operating in southern Gaza following intelligence “that indicated the suspected locations of senior members of Hamas”.
IDF soldiers from the 828th Brigade operating in the area “identified and eliminated three terrorists”, it says, adding an identification process confirmed one of those killed was Sinwar.
Sinwar identified through fingerprint and dental records, say police
We’ve just heard from Israeli police, who say Yayha Sinwar’s body was initially identified through analysis of his dental records.
It says this was then confirmed by comparison of his fingerprints.
Israel will have both of these, along with his DNA records, as a result of his being in prison there for 22 years.
We’ve just been hearing from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who describes Sinwar as having been behind “the worst massacre in our people’s history since the Holocaust”.
He says that, while Israel “settled the score with him”, the “task before us is still not complete” – as Israel will continue its fight until the hostages are brought home.
Addressing people in Gaza, Netanyahu says “Sinwar destroyed your lives” and that now that he is dead “Hamas will no longer control” the territory, describing this as as an opportunity for them to free themselves “from its tyranny”.
“The return of our hostages is an opportunity to achieve all our goals and brings us closer to the end of the war,” he say
