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Israeli Sources: Hamas Terror Chief Yahya Sinwar Is Dead
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar looks on as Palestinian Hamas supporters take part in an anti-Israel rally over tension in Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque, in Gaza City, Oct. 1, 2022. Photo: REUTERS/Mohammed Salem
JNS.org – IDF soldiers killed Hamas terror master Yahya Sinwar in a firefight in the southern Gazan city of Rafah, Israeli sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told reporters on Thursday.
The Israel Police positively identified the corpse of Sinwar, who was killed on Wednesday, several channels and news sites subsequently reported.
He was reportedly identified by his teeth. Official confirmation will follow DNA identification.
Netanyahu was set to address the nation at 8:30 p.m. local time.
The Israel Defense Forces said earlier Thursday that it was investigating whether Sinwar was one of three terrorists killed by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave.
According to initial reports, the Hamas leader was killed by tank fire called in by IDF soldiers who had identified armed terrorists in a building.
When the soldiers subsequently searched the premises, they discovered that one of the bodies bore a striking resemblance to Sinwar.
“We will reach every terrorist and eliminate them,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tweeted on Thursday.
“You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall before you by the sword,” added Gallant, quoting Leviticus 26:7.
The X post included pictures of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was assassinated in an IDF strike in Beirut last month, and former Hamas “military”/Al-Qassam Brigades chief Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an Israeli strike in southern Gaza’s Khan Yunis in July.
Later on Thursday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) head Ronen Bar held a situation assessment.
The military said on Thursday that while no hostages were found in the building where the three terrorists were killed, “forces continue to operate with the necessary caution in the area.”
Netanyahu instructed the IDF to inform hostage families that there was no indication any hostages were hurt during the battle.
Efrat Machikawa, the niece of captive Gadi Moses, told JNS on Thursday, “I hope all Israelis including the government will remain modest and humble. While this is a military achievement, the most important thing remains saving lives, and by that I mean returning the hostages.”
While the Hamas leader’s elimination is “very important, I remain extremely concerned about [the hostages’] fate. They are in my head and my heart every second since Oct. 7. They are the only ones I think about,” Machikawa added.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid called on the Netanyahu government to “take advantage of the opportunity for a decisive move regarding the hostages.
“Strive for a comprehensive deal and offer monetary rewards and safe passage to anyone who brings captives to our forces,” he tweeted.
Qatari officials involved in indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas have told family members of hostages that Sinwar had surrounded himself with captives.
Channel 12 reported that Sinwar had been hiding with the six hostages who were executed and then recovered by the IDF on Aug. 31. The hostages were identified as Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, Eden Yerushalmi, 24, Almog Sarusi, 25, Alexander Lobanov, 32, Carmel Gat, 40, and Master Sgt. Ori Danino, 25.
Hamas still holds 101 hostages, including 97 of the 251 taken during the Palestinian terror group’s massacre of some 1,200 people in the northwestern Negev just over a year ago.
“We need to thank the IDF if Sinwar is indeed dead. It also means that there is a lot of anxiety regarding the fate of the 101 hostages,” Ruby Chen, the father of captive Itay Chen, told JNS on Thursday. “Now is the time to leverage this military action for a deal to get them out.
“We received an update from IDF sources confirming that there were no hostages in the vicinity with regards to the incident,” he continued. “My message is that now is the time to get a deal done and put an end to all of this.”
Earlier this month, Sinwar reportedly renewed contacts with mediators in Qatar to find out the chances that he could receive immunity in any ceasefire-for-hostages-and-terrorists-release deal.
Similarly, in August, Ynet reported that Sinwar wanted protection against the possibility of an Israeli assassination. “Sinwar insists on guarantees for his safety and life” a senior Egyptian official said.
Two threats from Qatar led to Sinwar’s emergence from a long silence, according to Channel 12.
Sinwar was convicted on multiple murder counts by an Israeli court and sentenced to five life sentences, which he was supposed to serve until his death. However, in October 2011, he was released from prison—having served 22 years—as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.
Following his release, Sinwar gained power and popularity within Hamas, becoming its Gaza leader in 2017 by defeating Ismail Haniyeh in a vote.
In August, Sinwar was chosen to lead Hamas’s so-called political bureau, replacing Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31.
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Hamas Financial Officer and Commander Eliminated by IDF in the Gaza Strip

Israeli soldiers operate during a ground operation in the southern Gaza Strip, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, July 3, 2024. Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/Pool via REUTERS
i24 News – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), in cooperation with the General Security Service (Shin Bet), announced on Friday the killing of Ibrahim Abu Shamala, a senior financial official in Hamas’ military wing.
The operation took place on June 17th in the central Gaza Strip.
Abu Shamala held several key positions, including financial officer for Hamas’ military wing and assistant to Marwan Issa, the deputy commander of Hamas’ military wing until his elimination in March 2024.
He was responsible for managing all the financial resources of Hamas’ military wing in Gaza, overseeing the planning and execution of the group’s war budget. This involved handling and smuggling millions of dollars into the Gaza Strip to fund Hamas’ military operations.
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Report: Wary of Assassination by Israel, Khamenei Names 3 Potential Successors

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei waves during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
i24 News – Iran’s supreme leader Ali Khamenei named three senior clerics as candidates to succeed him should he be killed, the New York Times reported on Saturday citing unnamed Iranian officials. It is understood the Ayatollah fears he could be assassinated in the coming days.
Khamenei reportedly mostly speaks with his commanders through a trusted aide now, suspending electronic communications.
Khamenei has designated three senior religious figures as candidates to replace him as well as choosing successors in the military chain of command in the likely event that additional senior officials be eliminated.
Earlier on Saturday Israel confirmed the elimination of Saeed Izadi and Bhanam Shahriari.
Shahriari, head of Iran’s Quds Force Weapons Transfer Unit, responsible for arming Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis, was killed in an Israeli airstrike over 1,000 km from Israel in western Iran.
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B-2 Bombers Moving to Guam Amid Middle East Tensions, US Officials Say

FILE PHOTO: A U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber takes off from Andersen Air Force Base, Guam January 11, 2018. Picture taken January 11, 2018. U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Gerald Willis/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
The United States is moving B-2 bombers to the Pacific island of Guam, two US officials told Reuters on Saturday, as President Donald Trump weighs whether the United States should take part in Israel’s strikes against Iran.
It was unclear whether the bomber deployment is tied to Middle East tensions.
The B-2 can be equipped to carry America’s 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to destroy targets deep underground. That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran‘s nuclear program, including Fordow.
The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Experts and officials are closely watching to see whether the B-2 bombers will move forward to a US-British military base on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia. Experts say that Diego Garcia is in an ideal position to operate in the Middle East.
The United States had B-2 bombers on Diego Garcia up until last month, when they were replaced with B-52 bombers.
Israel said on Saturday it had killed a veteran Iranian commander during attacks by both sides in the more than week-long air war, while Tehran said it would not negotiate over its nuclear program while under threat.
Israel says Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, while Iran says its atomic program is only for peaceful purposes.
Trump has said he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel’s side, enough time “to see whether or not people come to their senses,” he said.
Reuters was first to report this week the movement of a large number of tanker aircraft to Europe and other military assets to the Middle East, including the deployment of more fighter jets.
An aircraft carrier in the Indo-Pacific is also heading to the Middle East.
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