The Israeli army announced the death of Yahya Sinouar, leader of Hamas, killed in Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip. He was considered one of Israel’s most wanted men due to his alleged role in the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, an attack that sparked the Gaza war.
According to Israeli army spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the military operation took place in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, where Israeli soldiers had been carrying out operations for several weeks, based on information suggesting the presence of senior Hamas officials. Yahya Sinouar was hiding in a building already inspected by Israeli forces, but “we did not know he was there,” said Daniel Hagari.
Clashes with three terrorists
On the Wednesday of the operation, soldiers from the 828th Brigade spotted “three terrorists moving from house to house”. After an exchange of fire and grenades, the group dispersed. Yahya Sinouar, injured in the hand, hid in a building. An Israeli drone surveyed the area, revealing that the Hamas leader, sitting in a destroyed living room, had a serious injury to his hand and was hiding his face with a keffiyeh. Shortly after, the building was hit by tank shell fire.
According to an article in the New York Times, based on the testimony of an Israeli forensic doctor, Yahya Sinouar was seriously injured in the forearm during the exchange of fire, then killed by a bullet to the head. Rear Admiral Hagari also said he was carrying a pistol and 40,000 shekels (around 10,000 euros).
What happened to his body?
Yahya Sinouar’s body was found the next day by Israeli forces in the rubble of the building. Unverified footage circulating online shows Israeli soldiers surrounding a body with a significant head wound, resembling the Hamas leader. The Israeli army confirmed his identity through a dental examination and DNA analysis.
The body was transferred to the National Center for Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv. According to an official cited by Israeli media Kan, Sinouar was in good health despite a year of intensive tracking by Israeli forces.
