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Israel’s foreign minister has confirmed that Israeli troops in Gaza have killed Hamas’ top leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war.
Hundreds of people demonstrating in Tel Aviv are calling for the release of hostages being held in Gaza after the news of Sinwar’s killing broke.
The protesters chanted, “Bring them all back – now!” Others carried signs saying, “Sinwar’s end, end the war.”
“On the one hand I’m happy that Sinwar is murdered, but in the second, I’m really, really scared,” Ifat Kalderon said Thursday night. Her cousin, Ofer Kalderon, is one of the hostages being held in Gaza. “I’m scared about the 101 hostages. ... They might murder them or do something because of the murder of Sinwar.”
Hamas militants kidnapped approximately 250 people and killed 1,200 during their attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Many were released in a weeklong cease-fire deal last November, but about 100 remain inside Gaza, about a third of whom are believed to be dead.
Sinwar's journey from a Khan Younis refugee camp to Hamas leadership reflects the complex dynamics of the conflict. Born in 1962, he helped establish Hamas' internal security force, Majd, before receiving four life sentences in 1988 for orchestrating the deaths of Israeli soldiers and alleged Palestinian collaborators. His release came in 2011 as part of the Gilad Shalit prisoner exchange.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz had previously labeled Sinwar an "arch-murderer," with his appointment as Hamas' political leader intensifying calls for his elimination. The October 7, 2023, attacks, which claimed 1,200 Israeli lives and led to 251 hostages being taken, transformed the regional landscape. The subsequent Israeli military response has resulted in over 42,400 Palestinian casualties, according to Gaza Health Ministry figures.
The Hostages and Missing Families Forum Headquarters welcomed the news, urging leverage of this potential achievement for hostage returns. Thomas Hand, father of released hostage Emily Hand, expressed hope that "his personal reign of terror has ended" and that this development might facilitate serious peace negotiations.
Frank Lowenstein, former special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations under President Obama, noted the unusual circumstances: "It's just a little odd that he would be hanging around above ground with a small security detail and no hostages." Meanwhile, National Security spokesman John Kirby acknowledged awareness of the reports but emphasized the lack of independent confirmation.
