Israel says it killed Hamas chief and mastermind of Oct. 7 massacre Yahya Sinwar

by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News October 17, 2024

In what may be the biggest blow to the Hamas terrorist organization in a year of war, Israel on Thursday said it had killed the Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, eliminating the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre.

Sinwar, a U.S.-designated terrorist and convicted murderer, was killed on Wednesday by Israeli soldiers operating in the southern Gaza Strip, Israeli officials said, adding his death was confirmed following forensic identification tests.

Yahya Sinwar

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had vowed to destroy the leadership of Hamas and its military capabilities.

“The State of Israel has brought justice with the elimination of Yahya Sinwar—a vile murderer and terrorist,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Thursday.

According to Israel’s Army Radio, Sinwar was found with passports on his body, as well as a quantity of cash. He was apparently trying to flee Gaza to Egypt, leaving Hamas and the Palestinian people behind as he attempted to escape.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) announced in a statement that “after a year-long pursuit, yesterday (Wednesday), October 16, 2024, IDF soldiers from the Southern Command eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip. Yahya Sinwar planned and executed the October 7th Massacre, promoted his murderous ideology both before and during the war, and was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis.

The statement continued: “Yahya Sinwar was eliminated after hiding for the past year behind the civilian population of Gaza, both above and below ground in Hamas tunnels in the Gaza Strip. The dozens of operations carried out by the IDF and the ISA over the last year, and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated, restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination.”

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Joe Biden tried to take credit for the operation. A White House statement said:

“Shortly after the October 7 massacres, I directed Special Operations personnel and our intelligence professionals to work side-by-side with their Israeli counterparts to help locate and track Sinwar and other Hamas leaders hiding in Gaza.

“With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders, flushing them out of their hiding places and forcing them onto the run.”

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Breitbart’s Joel P. Pollak noted: “In reality, Biden and (Kamala) Harris stood in the way of the Israeli operations that ultimately led to soldiers finding and killing Sinwar, as follows:

“1. Sinwar was killed in Rafah. Rafah is a town in southern Gaza near the border with Egypt. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had wanted to enter Rafah in February, saying that Hamas’s leaders, and Israeli hostages, were there. Biden openly opposed Israel’s plans, and Harris warned of “consequences” for Israel, including an arms embargo. Netanyahu eventually ignored them, and Israel entered Rafah in May; few civilians were harmed.

“2. Sinwar was killed near the Philadelphi Corridor. Sinwar’s body was found in a building near the Philadelphi Corridor, the road along the border that was the first thing Israeli soldiers seized when entering Gaza. The Biden-Harris administration had pushed Israel to give up control of the Philadelphi Corridor in ceasefire talks. Israel refused, saying the corridor was essential to stopping weapons from flowing in and Hamas leaders from fleeing. Notably, Sinwar’s body was found with cash and passports, suggesting he was trying to escape across the corridor.

“3. Sinwar was killed despite threats of an arms embargo. The Biden administration threatened, and Harris endorsed, an arms embargo against Israel just days before Sinwar was killed. The administration demanded Israel “surge” humanitarian aid into Israel and scale back military operations, giving Israel just 30 days in which to comply.

“4. Sinwar was killed despite calls for a unilateral ceasefire. Biden and Harris had explicitly called for a temporary ceasefire to allow for a hostage deal; it was their intention that the “temporary” deal become permanent.

“5. Sinwar was killed despite promises of intelligence in exchange for a ceasefire. To entice Israel to agree to a ceasefire, with unfavorable conditions, the Biden-Harris administration promised to provide information that, it was said, would identify the location of Hamas leaders. The idea was to end the war while offering Israel the prospect of targeted strikes on Hamas leaders. Ultimately, Sinwar was killed in an ordinary battle — not a targeted operation.”

Sinwar took control of the group’s political bureau in August after Israel killed the previous leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

Sinwar was widely viewed as the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, in southern Israel and led to the kidnapping of around 250 others.

Around 100 hostages remain in captivity in Gaza, including many dead. Talks between Israel and Hamas to secure the release of the remaining hostages have collapsed in recent months.

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