Hamas confirms Yahya Sinwar's death, says hostages won't be released until Gaza war ends (WATCH)
In a significant development in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya confirmed that the group's Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, has been killed.
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FollowIn a significant development in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya confirmed that the group's Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar, has been killed. Al-Hayya, in a video statement, declared that Sinwar died "in combat" earlier this week, following intense fighting with Israeli forces in Gaza. His death, al-Hayya said, would not weaken Hamas, vowing that "the occupiers will soon regret killing him."
The militant group reaffirmed its stance that the 101 hostages it still holds in Gaza, many of whom were captured during the October 2023 attack on Israel, will not be released until the Israeli military halts its offensive and withdraws from the Palestinian territory. “Those prisoners will not return to you before the end of the aggression on Gaza and the withdrawal from Gaza,” al-Hayya, who also serves as Sinwar's deputy, stated.
Sinwar, a long-standing figure in Hamas who had spent over two decades in Israeli prisons, was a key architect of the group's militant strategies. His death reportedly occurred during a front-line encounter with Israeli troops, and video footage circulated by the Israeli military showed a wounded man, believed to be Sinwar, hurling a stick at an approaching Israeli drone before succumbing to his injuries. The Israeli military had made killing Sinwar a top priority, viewing him as a major obstacle to negotiations and a symbol of Hamas's resilience in Gaza.
In a statement, Hamas heralded Sinwar as a hero who “ascended as a heroic martyr, advancing and not retreating, brandishing his weapon, engaging and confronting the occupation army at the forefront of the ranks.”
Sinwar’s death could significantly alter the course of the war, which has already claimed tens of thousands of lives and devastated Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, announcing Sinwar’s death on Thursday, reiterated Israel’s commitment to dismantling Hamas's political and military structure. "Our war is not yet ended," Netanyahu said in a televised speech, signaling that the military campaign in Gaza would continue.
While Israel views Sinwar’s elimination as a major success, there is growing pressure from both the Israeli public and international actors to seize this moment for potential negotiations. The families of hostages still held by Hamas have called on the Israeli government to use Sinwar’s death as an opportunity to negotiate their release. “We are at an inflection point where the goals set for the war with Gaza have been achieved, all but the release of the hostages,” said Ronen Neutra, father of Israeli-American hostage Omer Neutra, in a statement. Israeli officials were reportedly planning high-level meetings on Friday to discuss hostage negotiations.
Hamas, however, remains firm in its refusal to negotiate until Israeli forces withdraw from Gaza. In its statement, the group hailed Sinwar as a martyr who died a hero’s death, fighting on the front lines rather than hiding. The militant group vowed to continue its resistance, with al-Hayya promising that Sinwar’s death would inspire greater resolve among their fighters.
Sinwar’s killing has drawn reactions from across the region. Iran, a staunch supporter of both Hamas and Hezbollah, praised Sinwar as a martyr whose death would inspire resistance against Israel. In a statement, Iran’s mission to the United Nations contrasted Sinwar's battlefield death with that of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who was captured in hiding by U.S. forces in 2003. "When Muslims look up to martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield, the spirit of resistance will be strengthened," the statement read.
The conflict has also intensified along Israel’s northern border with Lebanon, where the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group has been firing rockets into Israel since the war began. On Friday, Hezbollah announced that its fighters had used new precision-guided missiles and explosive drones to target Israeli positions. The group claimed responsibility for an explosive drone attack that struck a military training camp inside Israel, killing four Israeli soldiers. Hezbollah also fired a new type of missile, the Qader 2, towards Tel Aviv earlier this week.
Israel responded with airstrikes and announced it was deploying additional reserve forces to support its troops battling Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. The Israeli military confirmed that it had killed two militants who crossed into Israel from Jordan, further highlighting the widening regional scope of the conflict.
Yahya Sinwar, who rose to prominence after being released in a 2011 prisoner exchange with Israel, was a pivotal figure within Hamas. Known for his hardline stance, Sinwar was considered one of the group’s most ruthless leaders, overseeing military operations in Gaza and coordinating attacks against Israel. His leadership of Hamas’s political and military wings earned him a reputation as a figure capable of uniting the often-fractured group.
Sinwar's death marks a major blow to Hamas, but it is unlikely to end the conflict. Both Hamas and Hezbollah have vowed to continue their campaigns against Israel, and with fighting raging on multiple fronts, an immediate resolution to the war appears distant.
As the war continues, Gaza’s humanitarian crisis worsens. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports that over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since the fighting began, with the majority being civilians. Israeli airstrikes and ground operations have destroyed large parts of Gaza, leaving 90% of the enclave’s population displaced.
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