The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) international spokesperson LTC Nadav Shoshani released the video of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar’s last moments. The video purportedly shows a dust-covered and wounded Yahya Sinwar sitting on a sofa and looking at the drone. As the drone records his final moments following an Israeli strike, Yahya Sinwar attempts to swat it away with a stick but fails.
In a post on X, Shoshani wrote, “Raw footage of Yahya Sinwar’s last moments.”
Sinwar was the chief of Hamas in Gaza during the October 7 attack that ignited the conflict and took on the role of the group's overall leader following the July assassination of its political chief, Ismail Haniyeh.
He is believed to have masterminded the October 7 assault, which resulted in 1,206 fatalities, primarily among civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures that also includes hostages who died while in captivity.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that the killing of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar in the Gaza Strip was the "beginning of the end" of the year-long war in the Palestinian territory.
The Israeli military said that after a lengthy hunt, troops had on Wednesday “eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organisation, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip”.
Netanyahu, who promised to eliminate Hamas at the outset of the war, celebrated the killing of Sinwar, stating, "This is not the end of the war in Gaza, but the beginning of the end." He described Sinwar's death as a significant milestone in diminishing Hamas's “evil rule.”
US President Joe Biden, whose government is Israel's top arms provider, said: "This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world."
“There is now the opportunity for a 'day after' in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike.”
According to data from the health ministry in Gaza, Israel's retaliatory campaign has resulted in 42,438 deaths, predominantly among civilians, a figure the UN considers reliable. Israeli military chief Herzi Halevi commented, "We are settling the score with Sinwar, who is responsible for that very difficult day a year ago." He emphasized the military's commitment to continue operations "until we capture all the terrorists involved in the October 7 massacre and bring all the hostages home." Some Israelis view Sinwar's death as a promising sign for the future.
“I am celebrating the death of Sinwar, who has brought us nothing but harm, who has taken people hostage,” said one Israeli woman, Hemda, who only gave her first name, as reported by AFP.
Attending a Tel Aviv rally demanding the hostages' release, 60-year-old Sisil, who also gave only her first name, said his killing presented a "once in a lifetime opportunity" for “a hostage deal to end the war”.
Meanwhile, Iran's mission to the United Nations said on Thursday the killing of Yahya Sinwar would lead to the strengthening of "resistance" in the region, AFP reported.
"The spirit of resistance will be strengthened. He will become a model for the youth and children who will carry forward his path toward the liberation of Palestine," the mission said in a post on X. "As long as occupation and aggression exist, resistance will endure, for the martyr remains alive and a source of inspiration."
(With inputs from AFP)
