Photo Courtesy: AP
Alleged mastermind of the October 7th attack on Israel, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by Israeli forces in Rafah, Gaza. Yahya Sinwar and two others opened fire on Israeli troops in the southern region of Gaza. The IDF opened fire on Sinwar's position and with the assistance of a tank motor shell eventually killed Sinwar and the other Hamas militants. Prime minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has made a statement about the death of Sinwar stating: “Today we have settled the score. Today evil has been dealt a blow but our task has still not been completed," according to 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.”
President Joe Biden has responded about the death of Sinwar’s on X saying “Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world.” Sinwar played a central role in the Hamas terrorist organization. Sinwar, nicknamed the “Butcher of Khan Younis,” was imprisoned for accused murder of Israeli soldiers and four Palestinian collaborators. He would be released in 2011 in a prison swap, which would lead to his eventual rise in the ranks of Hamas. He would rarely show himself in public. During the war, Sinwar became the political head of Hamas after the death of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency, Photo Courtesy: Getty Images
Many in Israel have celebrated the killing of Sinwar, however many others remain divided on the response to the war. Protestors in Tel Aviv held signs of the death of Sinwar but have also called for an immediate cease-fire and the full release of the hostages still held by Hamas. Rita Lifschitz, whose relatives were kidnapped on October 7th, said that she was scared for the lives of her family and the hostages that are being held in Gaza when the next leader of Hamas comes to power.
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