According to a report by The New York Times, four Israeli defense officials revealed that a commander training unit unexpectedly encountered Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar while conducting operations in southern Gaza, resulting in his death. On the morning of October 17, at around 5:30 AM, U.S. officials learned from their Israeli counterparts and received photographs suggesting that Sinwar might be deceased.
CNN reported that since the Hamas attack on Israel over a year ago on October 7, the Israeli military, with discreet assistance from the U.S., has been relentlessly pursuing the mastermind behind that attack.
They had managed to close in on their target multiple times, forcing Sinwar from one underground hideout to another. However, Sinwar evaded capture like a ghost, frequently moving through the networks of tunnels in Gaza. He rarely made public appearances and communicated only through messengers to avoid electronic detection.
Ultimately, this most wanted individual was apprehended by Israeli soldiers purely by chance.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), specifically troops from the Bislamach Brigade, were chasing several men through the ruins in southern Gaza. During the exchange of gunfire, the IDF deployed tanks and drones into a building that had been partially destroyed.
It wasn’t until the following morning, after the firefight had concluded and troops returned to assess the situation, that they realized one of the bodies was Sinwar’s.
Multiple officials informed CNN that Sinwar’s death was entirely accidental.
While both Israeli and U.S. officials had some understanding of the area where Sinwar was hiding, his constantly changing location made it difficult to pinpoint him. Remarkably, he never used a phone or any electronic communication. Instead, he conveyed orders to military commanders in Gaza and Hamas officials in Doha through handwritten notes.
Since the events of October 7, Sinwar had not been seen in public, with his only direct communication to the outside world being through letters—most recently, one addressed to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Hezbollah stated that in his letter, Sinwar reiterated his commitment to combating Israel and supporting the Iranian-backed military alliance known as the “Axis of Resistance.”
