Israel confirms death of Yahya Sinwar; Joe Biden calls it a ‘good day’

In yet another blow to Hamas, Israel on Thursday evening, 17 October, confirmed that it has eliminated Yahya Sinwar -- the chief planner of the horrific October 2023 attacks that killed 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in over 250 being taken as hostages.

"After a long and determined pursuit that lasted an entire year, our forces have eliminated Yahya Sinvar, the leader of the Hamas terror organisation and main person responsible for the massacre and kidnapping of many Israelis. I have now met the force that eliminated him yesterday in clashes in the Gaza strip," said Lt. Col. Herzi Halevi, the Chief of Staff of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) late Thursday evening.

Earlier, the IDF had said it killed three terrorists during an operation, north of the Gaza Strip and was investigating the possibility that one of them was Yahya Sinwar.

A few hours later, the IDF confirmed Sinwar's elimination.

"The force acted correctly with professionalism and determination, not because it knew Sinwar was there but because our fighters operate with excellence in every encounter with terrorists, in all sectors," said Halevi.

"The courage and determination of the IDF forces, working in all arenas, brought him to his end. We said we would get to him, and we did get to him. The world is now better off without him," he added.

Sinwar was appointed head of Hamas' political bureau, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh who was killed in Tehran while attending the swearing-in ceremony of Iran's newly-elected president Masoud Pezeshkian in July 2024.

Israel claimed that Sinwar, 61, who has not been seen publicly since last year's horrific 7 October attacks, remained at large in Gaza's extensive tunnel network, moving frequently and possibly surrounded by hostages.

"We will continue to pursue and eliminate all those who threaten the citizens of the State of Israel. We will not stop until we catch all the terrorists who were involved in 7/10 and return all the abductees home," the IDF chief stated after confirmation of Sinwar's death.

Last month, a Hamas official said that Sinwar will remain in the Gaza Strip and is "willing to die for Palestine".

The statement was made in response to an Israeli proposal offering a safe exit for Sinwar from Gaza in exchange for the release of Israeli hostages, Al-Aqsa TV reported.

"Today evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his first reaction after Hamas chief's killing.

The IDF detailed that, so far, dozens of terrorists have been eliminated in precise strikes by Israeli Air Force aircraft and in face-to-face battles, and many weapons and buildings that the enemy has fortified for terrorist activities have been destroyed.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden called Sinwar's killing a "good day" for Israel, for the United States, and for the world, and called it an "opportunity" for a political settlement between Israel and Palestine.

“This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” Biden said. “To my Israeli friends, this is no doubt a day of relief and reminiscence, similar to the scenes witnessed throughout the United States after President Obama ordered the raid to kill Osama Bin Laden in 2011.”

Appealing for an end to hostilities, Biden added: “There is now the opportunity for a “day after” in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. Yahya Sinwar was an insurmountable obstacle to achieving all of those goals. That obstacle no longer exists. But much work remains before us.”

The Hamas leader is said to have masterminded the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel in which more than 1,200 people were killed on that day, including 46 Americans. Over 250 were taken hostage, with 101 still missing.

He was killed by the Israeli army in Gaza.

“As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, Americans, and citizens from over 30 countries,” Biden said.

Biden went on to detail the defence and security assistance his government provided to the Israelis in the aftermath of the October 7 massacres.

“I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza. With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them onto the run. There has rarely been a military campaign like this, with Hamas leaders living and moving through hundreds of miles of tunnels, organized in multiple stories underground, determined to protect themselves with no care for the civilians suffering above ground,” he said.