Israel confirms death of Hamas leader | 17 Oct 2024 | Israel has officially announced that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, has been killed. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday that they were "investigating" whether Sinwar was among the Palestinian militants killed in a skirmish at an unspecified location. "Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar," the IDF posted on X on Thursday evening. Foreign Minister Israel Katz has also sent out a note to several of his colleagues around the world confirming Sinwar's death, according to an official statement. Sinwar, 62, has been the political leader of Hamas in Gaza since early 2017. He assumed full leadership of the group in August, after Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Tehran.