October 17, 2024 Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel says

The US will “redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict” after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.

Blinken said “the world is a better place” with Sinwar gone, calling him a “vicious and unrepentant terrorist.”

“At his direction, Hamas terrorists murdered Israelis, Americans, and citizens of more than 30 countries. They kidnapped and held hostage infants, elderly, and other civilians. His decision to launch the October 7th terror attacks unleashed catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza, who have now endured the horrors of more than a year of war,” Blinken added.

Here’s what other US officials are saying:

State Department: Spokesperson Matthew Miller also reiterated that the US intends to redouble its efforts to get hostages released and “bring an end to this war.” The US “sees a new opportunity for negotiations,” he said, but he did not detail how the US would be redoubling efforts from what it had already been doing. He added that the US hopes Sinwar’s successor — whoever it may be — takes “a different path forward.”

Pentagon: With Sinwar’s death, “there is now an opportunity for a day after in Gaza without Hamas in power,” spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday, adding that there is an opportunity for the release of hostages and a possible ceasefire. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described Sinwar’s death as a “major achievement in counterterrorism.”

President Joe Biden departs for Berlin, Germany from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday, October 17.

US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Thursday after news that Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, an official told CNN.

Biden called Netanyahu from Air Force One. During the call, Biden praised the Israel Defense Forces for carrying out “excellent work,” according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office.

The two leaders also agreed that there is an opportunity to “advance the release” of the remaining hostages, according to the statement, and that they will work together to achieve this goal.

“I told him that we were pleased with his actions and further that, now is the time to move on,” Biden told reporters in Berlin. The US president also said he was planning to dispatch US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region soon.

There are currently 109 Israeli hostages that remain in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office.

The two leaders also discussed what the “day after” looks like in Gaza and how “we secure Gaza and move on,” Biden said.

Earlier today, Biden praised the killing of the militant leader, saying that it was a “good day of Israel, for the United States and for the world.”

This post has been updated with additional comments from Biden.

Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about the killing of Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza, on Thursday, October 17, following a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.

Vice President Kamala Harris said the “entire world” is better off as a result of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and called for an end to the war in the Middle East.

Additionally, the vice president, who has tried to strike a balance between condemning the actions of Hamas while not condoning the suffering of the Palestinian people, again focused on both in her remarks.

Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of American hostage Omer Neutra, appear during a press conference in New York on April 5.

Family members of Israeli hostages who are still held by Hamas are warning their loved ones are still in danger after the Israeli military said it killed the militant group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar.

The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, said in a statement that it “urges leveraging this major achievement to secure (the) hostages’ return.”

The group commended the Israeli military for “eliminating” Sinwar, who it said “masterminded the greatest massacre our country has ever faced, responsible for the murder of thousands and the abduction of hundreds.” But, it also expressed “deep concern” for the fate of the more than 100 hostages who still remain in Gaza.

Einav Zangauker, mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, sits in her living room during an interview with Reuters, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 16.

Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is one of the hostages still in the strip, echoed this concern. She said that Israel had “settled the account” with Sinwar, but that “now, more than ever, the lives of Matan, my son and the other hostages are in tangible danger.”

The bodies of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and others killed with him were spotted by a drone in rubble in Gaza on Thursday, following a Wednesday tank strike on a building, a person familiar with Sinwar’s killing told CNN.

It was only when Israeli soldiers went in on foot and got a closer look that they started to suspect that it was Sinwar, the source said.

The Israeli military was conducting a “routine operation” on Wednesday when there was movement spotted and the Israeli tank shot at the building, the source added.

Sinwar was killed in the area of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the person said, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to confirm in a video address on Thursday.

“Why did we insist, in the face of all the pressures, to enter Rafah, the fortified stronghold of Hamas where Sinwar and many of the murderers hid,” Netanyahu said.

Earlier Thursday, while officials were still running tests to confirm that the man found in the rubble was Sinwar, Israel’s military radio station shared similar details on how the body was discovered.

The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza marks an opportunity “to bring about a better day for the people of Gaza, the people of Israel, the people of the whole region,” US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday, adding that the militant leader was a “massive obstacle to peace” in the region.

“This is a murderous terrorist, responsible for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust,” Sullivan said. “He has a lot of blood on his hands: Israeli blood, American blood, Palestinian blood, and the world is better now that he’s gone.”

While the national security adviser acknowledged that obstacles remain for a ceasefire deal in Gaza, he struck an optimistic tone on a deal’s chances in light of Sinwar’s death.

More reaction: Harel Chorev, senior researcher at the Moshe Dayan Center at Tel Aviv University, told CNN that Sinwar knew he was Israel’s top target, giving him a little personal incentive to negotiate.

“He knew he was a dead man walking. He was a Jihadist and he would never surrender,” Chorev said. “So he would try to prolong the suffering and misery of the Israelis, and not to do a deal, and then die with honor.”

CNN’s Ivana Kottasová contributed reporting to this post.

Several Palestinians in Gaza told CNN they do not believe the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar will put an end to the war.

Gazan Abu Mohammad told CNN he felt Sinwar was a “symbol of the Palestinian people,” and another man, Abu Ahmad, described Sinwar as “resisting for the liberation of his homeland.”

Abu Mohammad told CNN he wanted Israel to stop the war, but had his doubts that it would. “You must end the war since the man has been killed,” he said.

The war has killed more than 42,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to authorities in the strip, and left tens of thousands of others fighting disease, severe hunger and constant displacement.

Others were hopeful Sinwar’s death will now help bring an end to the conflict, which has stretched for over a year.

“Sinwar was a target for Israel, and he was targeted and killed,” 36-year-old Samah told CNN.

Similarly, 22-year-old Mumen Khalili said, “The war will end as it began because the one who started it is gone.”

Israeli politicians on Thursday celebrated the news of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz called the killing a “significant military and moral victory for Israel and for the entire free world in its fight against the axis of radical Islam led by Iran.”

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant used Sinwar’s death to call for releasing the hostages held in Israel. “It is time to go out, release the hostages, raise your hands, surrender. Go out with the hostages, free them, and surrender.”

President Isaac Herzog commended those involved in the killing, including the Israel Defense Forces, the Shin Bet, and the Israeli security services. “Now, more than ever, we must act in every way possible to bring back the 101 hostages who are still being held in horrific conditions by Hamas terrorists in Gaza,” Herzog said.

Opposition politician Benny Gantz said that “the mission is not over” and that the IDF “will continue to operate in the Gaza Strip for years to come.” Israel must take “advantage of” Sinwar’s death to bring back the hostages replace Hamas’ rule, he added.

Other politicians, including Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of Culture and Sports Miki Zohar, and Member of the Defense Cabinet Gideon Sa’ar, have also made statements in support of Sinwar’s death.

US President Joe Biden speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on October 11.

US President Joe Biden praised the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israel in a statement Thursday, adding he will speak “soon” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“This is a good day for Israel, for the United States and for the world,” Biden said in the written statement.

Biden added that it’s his hope that now is the opportunity for looking toward the next steps for Gaza following Sinwar’s death.

Editor’s note: This post contains a graphic image. Viewer discretion is advised.

Following the Israeli military’s confirmation that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in a military operation in Gaza on Wednesday, a photo that appears to show his body lying in rubble was circulated widely on social media.

The image shows what is believed to be Sinwar’s body surrounded by Israeli soldiers. It’s not possible to discern from the photograph when or where it was taken, and CNN has not independently confirmed the man in the photograph is Sinwar.

The Israel Defense Forces, in a statement Thursday, confirmed the “elimination” Sinwar, who was one of the masterminds of the October 7 attack.

This image appears to show the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar lying in the rubble of a destroyed building, with Israeli soldiers standing around the body.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a commemoration ceremony for soldiers killed during the 2014 Gaza war, also known as Operation Protective Edge, at the Memorial Hall on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem on July 16.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday, saying, “This is the beginning of the day after Hamas.”

“Evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video message.

Netanyahu called Sinwar’s killing an “important moment in the war,” telling residents of Gaza that it is an “opportunity” for them to “finally break free from (Hamas’) tyranny.”

Netanyahu warned Hamas its leaders will be eliminated and called on those holding Israeli hostages captive to lay down their weapons and return the hostages, saying whoever does so will be allowed to “go out and live.”

He commended the “heroic soldiers” who carried out the operation and told the families of hostages still held in Gaza that it is “highest commitment” that Israel will continue “with all our strength until the return home of all your loved ones, who are our loved ones.”

Watch his remarks:

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Netanyahu addresses nation after Israel confirms Hamas leader killed in Gaza

03:48 - Source: CNN

DNA tests conducted by the Israeli police have found that the body of an individual killed in an Israeli operation in Gaza was that of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, police said Thursday.

“The police’s forensics department completed the DNA test, which also found a match for the confirmed identification of Yahya Sinwar,” an Israeli police spokesperson said.

Yahya Sinwar waves his hand to the crowd during the celebration of International Quds Day in Gaza City on April 14, 2023.

For months, frustrated American officials looking to end the war in Gaza have mused quietly about the one scenario they believed could loosen deadlocked ceasefire talks: the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, believed to be hiding deep underneath Gaza in the group’s network of tunnels.

Whether that is what transpires over the coming days remains an open question.

Despite all the unknowns, the moment was viewed inside the White House and across President Joe Biden’s administration as a momentous one.

Sinwar’s killing has the potential to transform a conflict that long ago became a drag on Biden’s political fortunes — and by extension Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.

Even with Sinwar’s death, there is virtually no expectation the wider Middle East conflict will be resolved before Election Day on November 5, particularly as Israel prepares to retaliate against Iran’s ballistic missile attack from earlier this month. For many voters, negative views of the conflict have hardened after a year of fighting. Yet any development that could allow for a lowering of the regional temperatures would be welcome, both inside the White House and at Harris’ campaign headquarters.

Read more about the possibilities following Sinwar’s death.

Several United States lawmakers are reacting to the news that the Israeli military killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Wednesday.

Democratic Sen. Chris Coons, who is a senior member of the foreign relations committee, said that in the elimination of the militant group’s leader, “justice has been done” for the October 7 attacks in Israel. Sinwar was one of the key architects of the attacks.

“Having him gone, having Sinwar dead, on top of military accomplishments by Israel” might reignite the stalled negotiations on a hostage deal in Gaza and help move toward regional peace, Coons told CNN, adding that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should use the moment to see if there is any window to secure the release of hostages.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham called Israel’s killing of Sinwar “a mighty blow to Hamas and Iran,” which backs the militant group.

“The ultimate revenge against Iran and their terrorist proxies is to replace terrorism and hate with sustainable security, peace and prosperity for the region,” he said in a statement.

Republican Rep. Carlos Gimenez expressed his support for Netanyahu and said there is “only one way to deal with” people who have vowed to hurt Israel “for decades.”

“I’m behind Israel and their efforts right now. Look, a lot of these leaders have always thought that they’re immune, that they could do whatever they want and Israel wouldn’t touch them. Well, now they’re finding that it’s a different … it’s a different day,” he told CNN.

The lawmaker also blamed Hamas for civilian casualties in Gaza, where tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli bombardment.

CNN’s Ted Barrett contributed reporting to this post.

The families of American hostages still being held in Gaza called for their release following the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

“It is now time for every single hostage held in Gaza to be returned to their families,” they said in a joint statement released Thursday.

Ruby Chen, the father of US-Israeli hostage Itay Chen, who was killed on October 7 and whose body has yet to be returned, told CNN that “time is of essence.”

“We are very concerned terrorists in the field will do something irrational to the hostages they are holding,” Chen said.

Chen and other families of American hostages taken by Hamas have met and spoken with top US officials like national security adviser Jake Sullivan and White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk throughout the course of the conflict.

Some context: Negotiations for a hostage release and Gaza ceasefire deal have been at a standstill for almost a month, according to Qatar’s prime minister, who has said there is “silence from all parties.”

This post has been updated with comments from Ruby Chen.

Yahya Sinwar is seen during holy month of Ramadan in Gaza City, Gaza on April 30, 2022.

The Israel Defense Forces said Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed on Wednesday after a “year-long pursuit.”

“In recent weeks, IDF and (Israeli Security Agency) forces, under the command of the Southern Command, have been operating in the southern Gaza Strip, following IDF and ISA intelligence that indicated the suspected locations of senior members of Hamas,” the IDF said in a statement released Thursday.

Israeli forces encountered Sinwar during a routine military operation, two Israeli sources familiar with the matter told CNN earlier.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant on Thursday, a defense official told reporters traveling with Austin.

Austin is currently in Brussels for a NATO defense ministerial meeting.

CNN reported that a defense official said earlier in the day that Austin was passed a note about Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s death during an ongoing NATO meeting.

Dental records helped Israel identify the body of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a US official and former official familiar with the matter said, in addition to other biometrics.

The dental confirmation was able to be conducted relatively quickly, the official said.

The Israeli government has Sinwar’s biometrics because he spent more than two decades in Israeli imprisonment for murder.

The Israel Defense Forces has confirmed the “elimination” of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in a statement released Thursday.

Israel has confirmed to American officials that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead according to initial DNA testing, a person familiar with the matter said.

Further testing is being done.

The apparent death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is expected to rise to the forefront of discussions for President Joe Biden and his closest European counterparts during a meeting in Berlin on Friday, according to two Western officials involved in the planning.

The agenda for the leaders of the US, Germany, France, and the UK had expected to feature discussions on the path to a ceasefire in Lebanon and a resolution to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

But “today’s news will overtake previous plans,” one of those officials told CNN.

The leaders had also been expected to discuss how to put Kyiv in the strongest position possible going into the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, a gathering of 57 countries supporting Ukraine’s military efforts that meets every few months.

It is not yet clear how or if at all the apparent killing of Hamas leader Yahar Sinwar will impact ceasefire and hostage talks in Gaza, multiple officials told CNN.

One official in the Israeli government said Sinwar’s elimination would help efforts to secure a deal to release the remaining hostages in Gaza. Discussions will take place in the coming days about the implications of the apparent death in hostage negotiations, the official added.

However, others warned the lack of a clear, immediate successor could also complicate matters and put the hostages at risk. An Israeli source familiar with the matter said there were also concerns that chaos in Hamas’s ranks could follow Sinwar’s death.

‎There is a concern that, in the absence of clear leadership, the hostages could be killed — whether out of revenge or due to a lack of a plan on what to do with them.

Where things stand: Hopes for a ceasefire deal and hostage release deal have been shattered repeatedly by failing negotiations.

Talks are currently stalled, with Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the impasse. The prime minister of Qatar, one of the key meditators in talks, said Wednesday that there had been no negotiations on a hostage and ceasefire deal for almost a month.

US intelligence agencies were scrambling on Thursday morning to update their assessments of who is likely to succeed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who may have been killed in an Israeli operation overnight.

US officials have long hoped that killing Sinwar would give Israel the political opening that it needed to agree to a ceasefire. But who succeeds him, sources said, could have a profound impact on whether Hamas will be willing to restart meaningful negotiations with Israel for a halt to the fighting and the release of hostages.

Current and former US officials said there are several possible successors to the shadowy Sinwar, who for more than a year has been the sole voice of authority in the organization.

If Mohammed Sinwar — Yahya’s brother — assumes command, “negotiations are totally screwed,” one US official said. Mohammed Sinwar, according to a former official, is cut from the same hardline cloth as his brother, who the US long believed was willing to sacrifice Palestinian civilians to achieve his vision. His brother, Mohammed, has overseen Hamas’s tunnel building network, according to a former US official.

Another possibility is Khalil Al Hayya, who has been one of the lead negotiators for Hamas during ceasefire talks held in Doha. Because of that, he is “probably who the US would want,” the former official said. Al Hayya took over as the principal negotiator after the July assassination of Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran, which is widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.

A third option would be Khaled Meshaal — an obvious choice for Hamas, but an unlikely one because of his past support for a Sunni uprising against Syrian President Bashar al Assad. The episode caused a rift between Hamas and its patron, Shia-dominated Iran. It also damaged Meshaal’s leadership ambitions.

CNN’s Alex Marquardt contributed to this report.

Israeli officials are looking at fingerprints and dental records of the body believed to be Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, in addition to DNA testing, according to a person familiar with the matter.

CNN previously reported that the Israeli government had told the US it was doing DNA testing to confirm Sinwar’s death.

The Israeli government has Sinwar’s biometrics because he spent more than two decades in Israeli prisons for murder.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant speaks during a press conference at Israel's Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, Israel, on December 18.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is currently holding a security briefing with members of the military stationed along Israel’s border with Gaza, according to his ministry.

The briefing comes as the Israeli military continues to investigate whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during a routine military operation in Gaza on Thursday.

In photos shared by the defense ministry, Gallant can be seen alongside Israel’s military chief Herzi Halevi talking to troops stationed along the border.

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin attends a meeting in Ramstein-Miesenbach, Germany, on September 6.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was passed a note during the ongoing NATO Defense Ministerial meeting regarding Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s potential death, according to a US official.

The Israelis notified Department of Defense officials and have passed along photos, and the Pentagon is now awaiting updates from the Israelis who have not yet confirmed that it was Sinwar who was killed.

Austin is at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant makes brief statements to the media at the Israeli Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv, on October 16, 2023.

Israel will “pursue and eliminate” its enemies, the country’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, said in a post on social media Thursday.

The statement comes after the military said it was checking whether it had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar during an operation in Gaza Strip.

Gallant posted a passage from Leviticus 26, writing: “You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword.”

He posted the quote alongside an image showing the late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, as well as the late Hamas chief Mohammed Deif, with red crosses over their faces. The Israeli military said that it killed both leaders earlier this year.

“Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them,” Gallant wrote.

Israeli sources have said that the military encountered and killed a man believed to be Sinwar during routine military operations in the Gaza Strip. Israeli authorities are working to identify him.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is believed to have been killed after an Israeli tank fired at a house in the early hours of Thursday morning, Israeli Army Radio reported.

According to the radio station, which is state funded and operated by the Israel Defense Forces, the Israeli military detected “suspicious movement” on the upper floor of a building in the early hours of Thursday morning, so fired at it with a tank.

The Israeli military later confirmed Sinwar was killed on Wednesday.

Later in the morning, Israeli Army Radio said, a drone scanned the area of the attack, and soldiers recognized the face of Sinwar in the rubble.

The IDF had previously detected “unusual activity” in the area, the radio station reported, so decided last week to “increase scans and not to leave.”

This post has been updated with additional information from the Israeli military.

US officials are making no immediate statements about the potential death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and what this might mean for the future of the Israel-Hamas war.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken had previously said that “the fate of the deal” when it comes to driving a ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas was in Sinwar’s hands. But US officials are not saying today that his death will result in a deal overnight.

The ongoing military conflict between Hezbollah and Israel could also complicate any potential opportunity for bringing the sprawling conflict to an end, the official said.

Keep in mind: The US has been sharing intelligence with Israel regularly to try and identify Sinwar’s whereabouts but it’s not clear that any of that intelligence contributed to this specific operation. Sinwar hasn’t been seen since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023. He also hadn’t been publicly heard from for almost a year — until mid-September.

“The IDF is more surprised by this than we are,” the official said, noting that Israelis have told them that this was not an operation that they had been carrying out specifically to target Sinwar.

At least 28 Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli airstrike on Abu Hussein School in northern Gaza, local emergency services told CNN on Thursday.

Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, the director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital, said that 28 people had died in the strike on the school-turned-shelter, which is located in the Jabalya refugee camp.

At least 150 others were wounded, according to Fares Afana, the head of emergency and ambulance services in the region.

Afana added that ambulances have been unable to evacuate injured people from Jabalya to nearby Baptist Hospital for 13 days. “We are also facing a shortage of specialists to treat the severe injuries,” he said.

The Israel Defense Forces said an Israeli warplane had carried out a strike on a “command and control center used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists,” claiming that it was located inside a compound that “was previously” the school in northern Gaza.

Remember: Israel launched new, widespread operations in the north of the enclave earlier this month after saying it had seen signs of Hamas regrouping there, despite a year of constant bombardment and fighting on the ground.

The renewed Israeli campaign has displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians and left scenes of carnage in northern Gaza.

This post has been updated.

U.S. President Joe Biden boards Air Force One as he departs for Berlin, Germany, at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, on October 17.

President Joe Biden is being updated on the potential developments relating to Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by US national security adviser Jake Sullivan aboard Air Force One.

Biden, Sullivan and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken are currently on their way to Germany.

The Israelis have told the US they are doing the DNA testing now.

Head of the political wing of the Palestinian Hamas movement Yahya Sinwar, center, and MP, attends a rally in support of Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque in Gaza City on October 1, 2022.

Yahya Sinwar is Hamas’ leader in Gaza and one of the key architects of the October 7 attacks into southern Israel – making him one of the key targets of Israel’s war in the Palestinian enclave.

The Israeli military is investigating whether Sinwar, who has not been seen in public for more than a year, was killed in Gaza.

Longtime figure: Sinwar was appointed the new head of Hamas’ political bureau, following the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh in late July, casting him as one of the militant group’s most potent figures.

He was convicted in 1988 of playing a role in the murder of two Israeli soldiers and four Palestinians suspected of collaboration with Israel, and spent more than two decades in Israeli prison. Sinwar later said he had spent those years studying his enemy, including learning to speak Hebrew.

He has been designated a global terrorist by the US Department of State since 2015, and has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom and France.

Rise to power: Sinwar joined the Palestinian group in the late 1980s, and was responsible for bolstering Hamas’ military wing before forming key ties with regional Arab players.

He was born in 1962, in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Decades earlier, his family fled Al-Majdal, a village in historic Palestine during al-Nakba, or “the catastrophe” – along with 700,000 Palestinians who fled or were forcibly expelled from their homes following the 1948/49 war, in what is now Israel.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, speaks during a conference in Gaza on November 4, 2019.

Israeli forces encountered a man believed to be Yahya Sinwar during routine military operations in the Gaza Strip, two Israeli sources familiar with the matter said.

Israeli infantry troops encountered three militants near a building in Gaza and engaged them, the sources said.

After the battle ended, troops found a body resembling Sinwar’s and alerted senior commanders.

The Israeli military and intelligence services have since been working to identify whether the body is indeed Sinwar’s through DNA analysis, the sources said.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel’s military said it was investigating whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in military operations in the Gaza strip.

This is a breaking news story. We will bring you more details as we get them.

There were no signs of harm to any hostages in the Israeli operation in Gaza that may have killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

Netanyahu’s spokesperson said that the prime minister had instructed the Israeli military to tell families of hostages there were “no signs of harm to the hostages in the encounter in question.”

Unconfirmed pictures purported to show the dead body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar are circulating widely on social media.

In them, a man strongly resembling Sinwar can be seen lying dead in the rubble of a destroyed building with serious injuries to the skull.

CNN’s photo desk has run the images through authenticator software, which shows no signs of image manipulation.

It is not possible to discern a location or timeframe of his death from the still photographs.

CNN has not yet been able to confirm the identity of the man seen in the photographs.

The Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday it was investigating whether the Hamas leader has been killed in Gaza.

A street in Iranian capital Tehran after the posters featuring Hamas' new political chief Yahya Sinwar have been put up on August 13.

One of Israel’s most wanted men, Yahya Sinwar hasn’t been seen since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, 2023.

He also hadn’t been publicly heard from for almost a year – until mid-September.

On September 10, he issued his first statement since the war, congratulating Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune for his election victory, according to Hamas’ Telegram channel.

The next day, his office said he wrote letters thanking those who offered condolences after the death of Ismail Haniyeh, his slain predecessor. And on September 13, a letter was sent to then-Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah. CNN could not verify if Sinwar was indeed the author of the letters.

Sinwar was named political leader of Hamas after Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran in July. He is seen as more hardline than his predecessor in dealings with Israel and favors cooperation and closer ties with Iran and allied Islamist groups such as Hezbollah.

US officials were mum in the immediate moments after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced it was investigating whether a strike in Gaza had taken out Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

If Sinwar is in fact confirmed dead, the ramifications for the Biden administration would be momentous. His potential death, perhaps more than anything else, the singular event that many US officials had pointed to as the biggest potential game-changer in the Israel-Hamas war that has now been ongoing for more than a year.

With a ceasefire and hostages deal to pause the war stubbornly stuck for months, senior administration officials had hung onto hope that Sinwar might one day be taken out – and that that could open up doors that simply would not be otherwise. US officials have looked at Sinwar, simply put, the scalp that Israel needs most to be able to declare that they are done with the Gaza war.

Even in discussions of a so-called “all for all” deal – the idea that every hostage held by Hamas would be released in exchange for every Palestinian prisoner that Hamas wants freed – which is widely viewed as far-fetched – some US officials had mused perhaps such an idea could be remotely viable if Sinwar were dead.

Hamas' Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar attends attends a meeting with members of Palestinian groups in Gaza City, Gaza on April 13, 2022.

Israel’s military is investigating whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in military operation in the Gaza Strip.

“During IDF operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated. 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,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

Sinwar is the most significant Hamas figure still at large, and Israel considers him the “mastermind” of the deadly October 7 attacks that triggered Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza.

He has not been seen in public since the Hamas attacks and is thought to have been hiding in the vast network of tunnels worming their way under Gaza.

This is a developing story. We will bring you more details as we get them.

This post has been updated to clarify what the IDF said about its military operation in the Gaza Strip.

A Palestinian child receives a polio vaccination at a UNRWA clinic as part of the second phase of the polio vaccination campaign for children under 10 years old in Deir al-Balah, Gaza, on October 15.

More than 180,000 children age 10 and younger have been vaccinated for polio in central Gaza after a three day vaccination campaign from October 14-16, a spokesperson for the UN’s children’s agency (UNICEF) told CNN on Thursday.

The spokesperson added that eight health facilities will continue to provide polio vaccines and Vitamin A doses until Tuesday for those who missed out in the first round.

The campaign will continue in the south of Gaza from Saturday until Tuesday and then in the north of the enclave from Wednesday to next Thursday.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus noted the campaign end with a post on X, saying:

“The #Polio campaign, with second dose vaccination, concluded in central #Gaza yesterday with 181,429 children being vaccinated and 148,064 children receiving vitamin A supplements,” Ghebreyesus said on Thursday.

The United States has said it does not want to see entire villages destroyed in Lebanon after footage emerged of Israeli forces apparently blowing up a historic town in the south of the country.

A video released by the Israeli military on Wednesday shows multiple blasts near at least two dozen buildings, followed by plumes of smoke. CNN geolocated the video to the town of Mhaibib in the Nabatiyeh governate, roughly 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) from the border with Israel.

In a separate video, shared on social media and geolocated by CNN, the shrine of Prophet Benjamin — a site of religious, historic and touristic significance believed to be more than 2,000 years old — can be seen shrouded in smoke. CNN cannot verify the state of the shrine.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the video it released showed the “dismantling of [a] Hezbollah terrorist tunnel network.” It also said it struck dozens of Hezbollah targets in the Nabatiyeh area to dismantle what it claimed was “underground infrastructure” used by the Lebanese militant group’s elite Radwan Forces.

In a later statement, the IDF said it struck several towns in southern Lebanon, including Mhaibib. The IDF declined to comment further after being contacted by CNN.

The mayor of a neighboring village told the Associated Press that families had already left the village.

This post has been updated after the IDF declined comment.

A man helps his children to walk through a crater while crossing from Lebanon into Syria, at the Maasna border crossing between Lebanon and Syria, October 14, 2024.

A “new humanitarian crisis is unfolding in Syria,” the Norwegian Refugee Council warned Thursday, as the Israel-Hezbollah war forces tens of thousands of people to flee Lebanon, many to its war-torn neighbor.

More than 276,000 Lebanese and Syrians living in Lebanon have fled to Syria, the NRC said, including children who have been sent on their own. Many refugees who once left Syria seeking safety have now been forced to return home, where an existing humanitarian crisis is likely to escalate.

Prior to the war in Lebanon, poverty and suffering were rampant in Syria, a country roiled by civil war since 2011. More than 90% of the population was living below the poverty line, according to the UN.

Three in every four people in Syria needed life-saving aid in May 2024 — the highest number since the civil war began, the head of the UN said.

“Thousands of families crossing into Syria will struggle to find a safe place to stay or the basics their children need. This is a crisis within multiple crises.”

The US has carried out a round of strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, targeting five underground weapons storage facilities using B-2 stealth bombers.

Here’s what you need to know about the attack:

Who are the Houthis and why is the US attacking them? The Houthis are part of an Iran-backed alliance of militant groups in the Middle East.

The alliance, which spans Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq, has been attacking Israel since the Israel-Hamas war began. The Houthis say they won’t stop striking Israel and its allies until a ceasefire is reached in the Palestinian enclave.

While they do not pose as much of a threat to Israel and the US as other Iranian proxies, such as Hamas and Hezbollah, the Houthis have for months targeted ships in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways, in response to the war in Gaza.

Austin said he authorized the US strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden to “further degrade” the Houthis’ abilities after more than a year of attacks by the Houthis on US and international vessels in the region. The facilities were holding “various weapons components” used to target vessels in the Middle East, the defense secretary said.

Why did the US use B-2 bombers? Thursday’s attack was the first time the US used the B-2 stealth bomber to attack the Houthis in Yemen since the beginning of the war in Gaza. The B-2 is a much larger platform than the fighter jets that have been used so far to target Houthi facilities and weapons, capable of carrying a far heavier load of bombs.

Austin said US forces used the B-2 bomber to show the US can target facilities that “our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified.”

How have the Houthis responded? A Houthi spokesperson said “America will pay the price for its aggression on Yemen, and as we have said before, its aggression will not deter Yemen from its stance in support of Gaza.”

Israel’s defense minister has called France’s ban on Israeli firms holding displays at an upcoming naval show “a disgrace to the French nation,” as the diplomatic divide between the two countries deepens.

Barring the country’s companies from having a stand at the Euronaval expo in Paris “aids Israel’s enemies during war,” Yoav Gallant said Wednesday.

French President Emmanuel Macron has called for the complete suspension of the sale of arms used in Israel’s war in Gaza, while pushing for a ceasefire in the enclave as well as in Lebanon. Israel has said it opposes the ceasefire proposal.

The French government told organizers that Israeli delegations could attend “without any stand or exhibition of equipment,” Euronaval said, noting that seven Israeli companies were affected by the decision.

Israeli companies and citizens who wish to attend the show, which will be held in Paris between November 4 and 7, are welcome, according to a statement on Euronaval’s website,

Some context: This is not the first time France has banned Israeli companies from displaying at an arms fair.

France banned Israeli companies from participating in the Eurosatory weapons exhibition in June, due to Israel’s incursion in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.

Later this month, France is set to hold an international meeting to rally support for the Lebanese people and strengthen the country’s security situation.

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber taxis to the runway at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, in 2022.

The United States’ use of one of its most important and costly weapon systems, the B-2 stealth bomber, against Houthi underground munitions facilities in Yemen sends a wider message that will be heard in Tehran amid Iran’s confrontation with US ally Israel.

Sending its rare $2 billion B-2 bombers — the US Air Force has only 19 of them — to hit a group that has nothing near that level of sophisticated military hardware seems at first glance like overkill.

Washington has been content to use run-of-the-line weapons fired from aircraft and warships in the region to strike Houthi targets over the past year while suffering minimal if any damage to its platforms.

But US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s words in announcing the strike were telling:

He also said Washington will “not hesitate to take action … to deter attacks against civilians and our regional partners.”

Those words point to Iran in two ways.

Much of Tehran’s nuclear and military command facilities are thought to be in hardened, underground facilities. And there is no more important US “regional partner” in the Middle East than Israel.

As the world awaits Israel’s retaliation for Iran’s October 1 ballistic missile strikes, Washington is sending a signal to Tehran it will only tolerate limited further action against Israel.

The last reported combat mission by a B-2 bomber was in January 2017. It would be hard to believe the US waited more than seven years — and a year into the confrontation with the Houthis — to send a costly message to the group alone.

Yemen’s Houthis have vowed that the United States will “pay the price” after Washington launched airstrikes against the Iran-backed group targeting five underground weapons storage facilities using B-2 stealth bombers.

The Houthis have for months targeted ships in the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest waterways, which they have said are in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.

Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are all part of an Iran-led alliance spanning Yemen, Syria, Gaza and Iraq that has attacked Israel and its allies since the war began. They say they won’t stop striking Israel and its allies until a ceasefire is reached in the Palestinian enclave.

The strikes on Yemen come at a time of great tension across the region. Israel is expected to retaliate for Iran’s recent missile barrage before the November 5 US election, and its conflicts with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are deepening.

A displaced young woman sits by makeshift shelters on a beach in Beirut, Lebanon, on October 16, 2024. More than a million people have been displaced amid hostilities between Hezbollah and Israeli forces, according to UNICEF.

The US carried out a round of strikes in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis on Thursday morning, targeting five underground weapons storage facilities using B-2 stealth bombers.

Austin said he authorized the strikes at the direction of President Joe Biden to “further degrade” the Houthis’ ability after more than a year of the Iran-backed group’s attacks on US and international vessels in the region.

The attacks come as hostilities continue to escalate in the region, with Israel’s retaliation against Iran’s recent missile attack now expected before the November 5 US election and its wars in Lebanon and Gaza ramping up.

Here are the latest developments in the region: