Is Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar Dead? Reports Emerge About Killing Of Top Israeli Target In Gaza Strike

Israel is reportedly investigating the potential death of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar following a deadly rocket strike that targeted a school in Gaza City. The Israeli military said that the strike was aimed at a Hamas command center, while Palestinian health authorities reported that 22 people were killed in the attack.

Israeli officials are now looking into the possibility that Sinwar may have been killed during the Israeli Defense Forces operations in Gaza, The Times of Israel reported. “In Israel, they are investigating the possibility that Haya Sanwar is no longer alive. This possibility was raised in Amn, by some of the experts dealing with the Palestinian arena, although it has no support or evidence on the ground,” journalist Ben Caspit said in a post on X.

Dead Or Alive?

Caspit suggested that Sinwar’s history of evading death could explain why he might not be confirmed dead at this time. He referenced past instances where Sinwar disappeared after strikes, leading to similar rumors about his demise. “The Shin Bet, as far as is known, rejects the possibility and believes that Sanwar is alive,” the journalist said.

“According to the theory being tested, Sanwar was killed during an IDF activity without this being known or published. As mentioned, this possibility is currently being examined, but the chance that the man was indeed killed is not high,” he added. Citing a “knowledgeable” source, the Israeli journalist added that “There have also been cases in the past when he disappeared and we thought he was killed, but then he reappeared.”

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

Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel in the late 1980s for killing 12 individuals accused of being informants and received four life sentences. While incarcerated, he organized protests for better conditions and studied Hebrew and Israeli society. In 2008, he overcame brain cancer with treatment from Israeli doctors.

He was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas. Alongside Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas’s armed wing, Sinwar is believed to have orchestrated the October 7 attack that resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis. This assault triggered a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives in Gaza, according to Palestinian authorities.