Mango Desk: In a significant victory, Israel has eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas militant group. Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 massacre last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 Israelis, was killed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). In that brutal attack, Hamas militants also took around 250 hostages, prompting Israel to launch an extensive hunt for Sinwar.
Attack on Rafah Building
Following the October 7 massacre, Sinwar went into hiding in underground bunkers and tunnels. Despite numerous Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, IDF forces had struggled to locate him. However, on October 16, during military operations in Rafah city, Israeli forces fired a shell on a building suspected of harboring militants. The building collapsed, and upon inspection, IDF soldiers found the bodies of three Hamas militants. A DNA test later confirmed that one of them was Sinwar.
It is reported that Sinwar often used Israeli hostages as human shields, but no hostages were present in the building at the time of the attack. The discovery of his body, wearing a bulletproof vest and surrounded by grenades, was a major breakthrough in Israel’s ongoing efforts to neutralize Hamas leadership.
Defense Minister Commends IDF
Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Galant praised the IDF soldiers for their successful operation, noting that Sinwar’s death sends a powerful message to Gaza. He attributed the suffering in the Gaza Strip to Sinwar’s violent actions.
