Hamas mourns ‘martyred brother’ Yahya Sinwar, vows to not release captives unless...

Palestinian militant group Hamas on Friday confirmed the death of “martyred brother” and its leader Yahya Sinwar, and “vowed” it won't release the hostages of its October 7 attack on Israel last year. This comes a day after Israel announced the Hamas leader's death in Gaza.

Sinwar was Israel's most wanted man, and his death -- announced by the Israeli military on Thursday -- deals a major blow to the already weakened group.

In a recorded video statement broadcast by Al Jazeera, Qatar-based Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said, “We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim.”

“[The hostages] will not return... unless the aggression against our people in Gaza stops,” he added. the 62-year-old leader Hamas leader

Lauding Sinwar as “steadfast, brave and intrepid”, Khalil al-Hayya told the Hamas-affiliated Al-Aqsa TV, according to Al Jazeera, that the Hamas leader “sacrificed his life to the cause of our liberation.”

“He met his end standing brave, with his head held high, holding his firearm, firing until the last breath, until the last moment of his life,” the senior Hamas official added.

Hayya said Hamas would take strength from Sinwar's killing, which he said has set him among “the leaders and symbols of the movement who preceded him”.

How was Yahya Sinwar killed?

Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli soldiers in the Palestinian enclave on Wednesday, October 16.

Sinwar was reportedly hiding in the tunnels under the Gaza Strip in the last two decades. He was killed in a gun battle in southern Gaza, the report said, citing Israeli officials.

The Israeli military later shared a drone video of Sinwar, where he can be seen sitting on an armchair inside a demolished building.

“Today, we have settled the score. Today, evil has been dealt a blow, but our task has still not been completed,” the report said, quoting Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu from a recorded video statement.

“To the dear hostage families, I say: This is an important moment in the war. We will continue full force until all your loved ones, our loved ones, are home,” he added.