Israeli officials said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israel Defense Forces in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. Hamas has not commented publicly on the reports.
Why it matters: Sinwar was the mastermind of the Oct. 7 terror attacks, which killed 1,200 people and set off Israel’s year-long war against Hamas in Gaza. Israel has made killing him a key objective, and may now be more willing to scale back its military operations in Gaza.
- Most of the people killed on Oct. 7 were civilians, including 43 Americans. 250 people were taken hostage, among them 12 Americans.
- In the year since the terror attacks, Israel has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in its assault on Gaza — most of them civilians, according to local health officials.
Driving the news: The IDF and the Shin Bet said in a statement on Thursday that the incident took place on Wednesday night local time in southern Gaza Strip.
https://www.axios.com/2024/10/17/sinwar-hamas-israel-killed-gaza