The Palestinian militant group Hamas reported on Friday that its leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been killed by the Israeli military in Gaza, a day after Israel claimed his death.
“We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim,” said Qatar-based Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya in a recorded video statement broadcast by Al Jazeera.
Sinwar became Israel’s most wanted man after the October 7, 2023, attack, which was the worst in the country’s history.
Hayya stated that the militant group would not release prisoners abducted from Israel until the war in Gaza ended.
The hostages “will not return… unless the aggression against our people in Gaza stops,” said the senior Hamas official, urging Israel to withdraw from Gaza and release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.
Hayya further remarked that Sinwar’s death would only reinforce the group’s resolve, placing him alongside “the leaders and symbols of the movement who preceded him.”
