Israel on Thursday claimed that its forces had killed Hamas Political Bureau Head Yahya Sinwar in Gaza. Hamas, however, did not confirm Tel Aviv's claim.
The Israeli army, in a statement, said that after a year-long manhunt, they had finally killed Sinwar on Wednesday night. They claimed to have reduced Sinwar's area of activity through dozens of operations to trace him. In recent weeks, they had intelligence which suggested the possible location of suspected senior Hamas officials.
During raids, Israel said that soldiers from its 828 brigade operating in Southern Gaza (Rafah) clashed with three suspected Hamas fighters and killed them.
After identifying the bodies, they confirmed that one of the three was Sinwar.
The Israeli military said that they will continue to pursue everyone involved in the October 7, 2023, attacks and all hostages are returned.
Later, in a televised statement on Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that DNA samples had confirmed that Sinwar was among those killed.
He, however, added that Sinwar's death did not signal the end of their mission in Gaza and that the war in Gaza and Beirut would continue. He vowed to recover the hostages as he appealed to remaining Hamas members to free the hostages in exchange for their lives.
Following the announcement, celebrations broke out in Israel, with sweets distributed publicly.
Meanwhile, Hamas has yet to confirm Sinwar's assassination during an armed clash in Rafah. In a message, Hamas said they have yet to issue an official statement on Sinwar's death and that all information published by Israel, including photos of a man purported to be Sinwar, were false.
They further claimed that the passport of a man said to be accompanying Sinwar, is alive and has been in Cairo for the past four months and that he works for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees "UNRWA". They claimed that this gives rise to doubts about the claims of the occupation.
Global reaction
US President Joe Biden termed Sinwar's killing a "good day for Israel, for the United States, and the for the world."
He added that US intelligence efforts had contributed to Israel's manhunt of the Hamas political and military chief.
Biden, who has sent arms worth $22.76 billion to Israel to wage a regional war unconnected with Hamas, was of the view that Sinwar's assassination provided an opportunity to bring the year-long-war to an end and to look at a Gaza without Hamas and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians.
Curiously, Biden had long blamed Sinwar - who took over political duties of the group after Ismail Haniyeh's assassination earlier this year - for obstructing a peace deal with Tel Aviv. Hamas and other groups and countries, however, blame Netanyahu for frustrating peace attempts even when Sinwar and Hamas had accepted the terms of a ceasefire.
US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, who is married to a Jewish man, Douglas Ehoff, termed the Sinwar's killing "justice has been served".
Responding to reporters in Milwaukee, she blamed Sinwar for the killings of thousands of innocent people, including on October 7.
"Today, I can only hope that the families of the victims of Hamas feel a sense and measure of relief," she said.
The news of Sinwar's killing comes on the heels of the US launching strikes in Yemen using its long-range stealth bombers. The US claimed to have struck weapon stores used by Iran-backed Houthis.
In July, Israel had orchestrated an elaborate assassination of Hamas' political head and chief negotiator, Ismail Haniyeh, when he was visiting Iran for the inauguration of the new president there. He was targeted with explosives at an IRGC guest house on the outskirts of Tehran.
Earlier in the year, Israel claimed to have killed Hamas' chief tactician Mohammad Deif.