On October 17, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed at an unspecified location.
Israeli officials immediately celebrated the death of a figure who had a significant influence on Hamas' military operations, including the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
On the evening of October 17 local time, IDF international spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani posted a 48-second video on social media, describing it as Sinwar's "last moments".
Drone footage shows a bombed-out house somewhere in Gaza, inside of which a man wearing a full-body suit sits in an armchair.
Although Lt. Col. Shoshani described the footage as "raw," the video pauses and notes that the seated person is Sinwar with a red outline.
One of the man’s arms appears to be injured. With his other arm, the man throws what appears to be a stick or sword at the drone. The object misses its target, but the video stops there.
According to the Jerusalem Post, units of the 828th Bislach Brigade eliminated Sinwar on October 16, in an “unplanned operation” in the Rafah neighborhood of Tel Sultan in southern Gaza.
According to the newspaper, the Hamas leader was spotted by a surveillance drone flying into a building. Tanks opened fire on the building and the IDF sent a drone in to check on the target. After Sinwar attacked the drone, the tank fired again at the building.
Graphic images of what appeared to be Sinwar, buried under rubble, circulated on social media. The IDF confirmed Sinwar's identity by comparing dental records and fingerprints from when the Hamas leader was detained.
Israeli media reported that one of Sinwar's fingers was severed and sent to a laboratory for quicker identification.
An Israeli Channel 12 reporter posted photos of items found on Sinwar's body.
Among them were mints, money, lighters, a Kalashnikov rifle, and a staff card from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
