Khalil al-Hayya, the head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, announced on Friday that Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces earlier this week.
In a televised address, al-Hayya confirmed the Israeli army’s announcement on Thursday that Sinwar had been killed during intense confrontations in the Tel Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip.
“Sinwar rose, advancing, not retreating, engaging in the front lines and moving between combat positions,” al-Hayya said.
“Sinwar was a continuation of the caravan of great martyrs, following in the footsteps of the founding Sheikh Ahmed Yassin,” he continued, adding that “the blood of the martyrs will continue to light our way and constitute an incentive for steadfastness and perseverance.”
“Hamas will continue until the establishment of a Palestinian state on all Palestinian soil with Jerusalem as its capital,” the top group’s official also stated, reaffirming that “the martyrdom of Commander Sinwar and the leaders who preceded him will only increase the strength and resilience of our movement.”
Al-Hayya also reiterated that “the occupation prisoners will not return unless the aggression on Gaza stops, troops retire from the Strip, and our prisoners are released from the prisons.”
⚡️BREAKING: Hamas leader Khalil Al-Hayya announces the martyrdom of the great leader, President of the Hamas Political Bureau, Yahya Sinwar, who sought martyrdom and attained it after clashing with a zionist force alongside other fighters in the Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/zkjBbO29lq
— Suppressed News. (@SuppressedNws) October 18, 2024
Wearing a Keffiyeh
The Israeli army said on Thursday that Sinwar was killed during clashes in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday.
The clash reportedly took place in Tel Al-Sultan, Rafah, where Sinwar was found wearing a military vest, he was wearing a Keffiyeh, and holding an AK-47.
Yahya Sinwar, born on October 19, 1962, in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza, became a prominent leader of Hamas.
His family was displaced during the 1948 Nakba. He studied at the Islamic University of Gaza, where he became active in student leadership, which paved the way for his role in founding Hamas’ internal security apparatus, Majd, in 1986.
Sinwar was arrested multiple times by Israel, receiving four life sentences in 1988.
During his 23 years in prison, he led Palestinian prisoners, endured solitary confinement, and authored several books. He was released in a prisoner exchange deal in 2011.
After his release, Sinwar rose in Hamas’ ranks, leading its military wing and later its political bureau in Gaza.
‘I Won’t Bat an Eye’ – Israel Says It Killed Palestinian Leader Yahya Sinwar
He was instrumental in coordinating Hamas’ military and political activities.
In 2024, following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Sinwar became the head of Hamas’ political bureau. Israel considers him the architect of the 2023 Al-Aqsa Flood operation.
‘I Won’t Bat an Eye’
In a famous press conference in May 2021, soon after an 11-day Israeli war on Gaza, Sinwar expressed his lack of fear of death, stating that the fight would continue regardless.
“I won’t bat an eye,” he said, proudly, adding: “Be my guest”.
“He (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu – PC) is going to say this is the victory photo and the end of the battle, and that we have assassinated Sinwar,” he said.
“He wants a victory image, I am ready (…) They can take the decision to assassinate me right now,” Sinwar continued, concluding: “I won’t bat an eye. Be my guest”.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
