Who Is Yahya Sinwar? Israel Army 'Checking' If Hamas Chief Was Killed In Gaza Operation

Yahya Sinwar chairs a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City. (AP file photo)

Israeli defence agencies stated that they "are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed"

Israel on Thursday said that it is “checking” whether Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was killed during a military operation in the Gaza Strip. A brief military statement, which did not provide specifics about the operation, claimed that “three terrorists were eliminated” during an operation in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli defence agencies stated that they “are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.”

Meanwhile, images purportedly showing Sinwar’s body have also circulated on social media. However, there has been no confirmation from Hamas yet.

Who is Yahya Sinwar?

62-year-old Yahya Sinwar, who masterminded the October 7 attacks on Israel, became the chief of Hamas in August after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed in an explosion in Iran.

Born in 1962, Sinwar was among the early members of Hamas when it was founded in 1987. He previously led the group’s security branch and was known for his ruthless tactics against suspected collaborators.

(With inputs from agencies)