Hamas leader killed – 25 October 2024
Israeli soldiers have killed the leader of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, in Rafah, southern Gaza.
Israelis in Jerusalem react to the news
Sinwar’s death wasn’t part of a planned operation. Troops on a patrol fired at three Hamas fighters and only later realised that one of them was Sinwar.
While most Israelis celebrated the news, some were worried about what it means for the hostages that Hamas is still keeping prisoner in Gaza.
Hamas is the terrorist organisation that has ruled Gaza since 2007. Sinwar became its leader in 2017, and he was in charge when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on 7 October 2023, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping 251 more. In response to that, Israel has been attacking Gaza and fighting with Hamas. At least 42,600 Palestinians have been killed and 99,795 injured.
Yahya Sinwar in 2023
Will this mean an end to the war?
US President Joe Biden said Sinwar’s death raised “the prospect of a ceasefire” (a pause in the fighting), while Kamala Harris, the vice-president competing against Donald Trump to be the next president, said that it provided a chance finally to end the war in Gaza. However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it clear that the killing does not mark the end of the war.
In fact, Israel ramped up operations last weekend, with bombing and gunfire around a hospital in northern Gaza that damaged the hospital’s water tanks and electricity supply. And at least 87 people were killed or missing under rubble after Israeli strikes on a residential area.
Meanwhile, Hamas has told the BBC that it will begin choosing a new leader soon – but it will keep their identity a secret in order to protect them.
