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Israeli FM says Sinwar dead; no Hamas comment

Israeli FM says Sinwar dead; no Hamas comment
MENA
22 min read
Israel's foreign minister confirms that Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza. There has been no official comment from Hamas.

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Thursday announced the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

This comes after Israeli authorities said it was checking whether it had killed Hamas chief Sinwar in a Gaza operation, in what would constitute a massive blow to the group.

Israel accuses Sinwar of masterminding the October 7 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israeli history, and has been hunting him down since the start of the Gaza war.

Israel's announcement on Sinwar comes weeks after it assassinated Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah in a massive strike in Lebanon, where its military has been at war since late September.

Meanwhile, an Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in Gaza's Jabalia has killed at least 28 people, including children.

Dozens were also injured in the strike, said the official, Medhat Abbas, adding: "There is no water to extinguish the fire. There is nothing. This is a massacre."

"Civilians and children are being killed, burned under fire," said Abbas.

The Israeli military claims the attack targeted an "operational meeting" of Hamas and Islamic Jihad fighters, though no evidence was provided to support the claims.

The school was being used to shelter displaced civilians, as Israel's siege of Jabalia in the northern part of the region enters its 13th day.