Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar who masterminded October 7 attacks confirmed dead following Israeli strike on Gaza

17 October 2024, 14:09 | Updated: 17 October 2024, 18:52

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed in operations in Gaza, Israel's military has confirmed.

Sinwar was confirmed dead by Israel's foreign minister on Thursday following DNA testing on bodies recovered at the scene.

Sinwar has long been hailed as the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks.

Recent hours had seen Israeli forces investigate whether Sinwar had been killed as part of the ground operation by the IDF, after three people were killed in the Gaza operation.

Israel's defence minister, Yoav Gallant, took to X following the operation, writing: "We will reach every terrorist - and eliminate him" adding soon after "our enemies cannot hide."

There are hopes that the death of Sinwar could lead to the end of the war. Former Defence Secretary Grant Shapps told LBC's Andrew Marr: "it is a very significant moment and I hope it could herald the beginning of the end of the situation in Gaza - both for the Gazans and the Israelis."

Sinwar, who has led Hamas within Gaza since 2017, is believed to have joined the militant group in the early 1980s.

As news broke of the Hamas leader's possible death, the IDF released a statement outlining the ground operation in Gaza.

"During IDF operations in Gaza, 3 terrorists were eliminated," the IDF said in a statement.

"The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed."

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"In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area.

"The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution."

Three Israeli officials have now reported that one of the three bodies found at the house is "most likely" the Hamas leader, according to Axios reporter, Barak Ravid.

It's reported the Israeli military is now awaiting DNA and fingerprint confirmation in order to confirm the identity of the corpses.

It comes as fifteen people are said to have been killed, including at least five children, by an Israeli in an air strike on a school in Gaza.

The figures, released by the Hamas-run health ministry, say Abu Hussein school, in Jabalia, northern Gaza, was the target.

It was a location that is said to have been sheltering displaced people, according to ministry official Medhat Abbas.

He told Reuters: "There is no water to extinguish the fire. There is nothing."

A building in central Beirut that houses offices of the Al Jazeera news network and the Norwegian embassy has been evacuated after a warning.

Mazen Ibrahim, Al Jazeera's Lebanon bureau chief, said the building's administration received three calls telling everyone to leave the property, which he said housed the embassies of Norway and Azerbaijan, as well as dozens of offices.

He said it was unclear who called in the warning.

Norwegian foreign ministry spokesperson Ragnhild Simenstad said the building was evacuated after a "bomb threat", without elaborating.

Israel has ordered the evacuation of several buildings, as well as entire cities, towns and villages, as it strikes what it says are targets linked to the Hezbollah militant group.