Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar killed? Israel tries to verify with DNA test

Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who ordered the October 7 attack on Israel, might have been killed in an Israeli operation, said the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), adding that its intelligence agencies are trying to verify the news. The October 7 attacks that killed 1,200 Israelis, was the deadliest terrorist attack on the Jewish state, and plunged the Middle East into chaos.
“During IDF [Israel Defense Forces] operations in Gaza, three terrorists were eliminated. The IDF and the ISA [Israel Securities Authority] are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” an IDF statement released on Thursday (October 17) said.
“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution,” added the statement.
Several security officials on the condition of anonymity told Israeli media that bodies had been taken to Israel for DNA tests and the IDF thinks “with a high probability” that one of the killed is Yahya Sinwar.
Yahya Sinwar, not publicly seen for more than a year, is believed to be hiding in the tunnels in Gaza, also called the Gaza Metro.
“At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” Reuters reported the Israeli military as saying.
Israel’s Kan Radio has even reported that the Hamas leader was killed “by chance” and this is not a result of intelligence.
However, in a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, no hostages were believed to be present.
Earlier on Thursday, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, quoting the Jewish holy book Torah, said that Israel’s enemies can’t hide.
“You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword,” wrote on X.
“Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them,” Gallant added.
Siwar, 61, is one of the few surviving enemies of Israel.
If the IDF confirms Sinwar’s death, it would be a crucial military success for Israel in its year-long war with Hamas. Sinwar, jailed by Israel since 1998, was released in a prisoner swap in 2011. He was in favour of armed confrontation with the Jewish state over diplomatic initiatives. He joined Hamas in the late 1980s, and was instrumental in strengthening its military wing, Al-Qassam Brigades.
Sinwar became the Hamas chief after the Israeli military eliminated Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in late July.
Sinwar believed that armed struggle was the only way to create a Palestinian state and was against Doha-based Hamas leaders like Ismail Haniyeh, who he called “hotel guys”.
In turn, the Qatar leaders branded Sinwar a “megalomaniac”.
Sinwar’s grip on Hamas remained strong despite some dissent in Gaza.