Israel Investigates Claims of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar’s Death Amid Growing Speculation

Israel Investigates Claims of Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar’s Death Amid Growing Speculation

Edited by: Fern Sidman

Israel is currently investigating reports that Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, may have been killed during recent Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operations in Gaza. However, this possibility is considered unlikely according to military intelligence, The Times of Israel reports. Israeli journalist Ben Caspit first raised the possibility of Sinwar’s death, citing sources within the intelligence community who are following up on the matter. Nevertheless, skepticism remains high, particularly among Israel’s security agency, the Shin Bet, which has rejected the notion and maintains that Sinwar is still alive.

#Israel is investigating whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed as a result of an IDF attackin #Gaza .

There is no positive intelligence to support such a report, and there is a dispute in the security establishment as to whether he has been cut off from contact again or… pic.twitter.com/NmsVcfR0Sd

— Ashish Yadav (@Ashishydav) September 22, 2024

 As The Times of Israel report noted, the investigation stems from military operations carried out in Gaza, but conclusive evidence regarding Sinwar’s death is still lacking. Caspit cited a source close to the situation, explaining that this is not the first time Sinwar has gone off the grid, prompting speculation about his demise. “There have also been times in the past when he disappeared and we thought he was dead, but then he reappeared,” the source told The Times of Israel.

Further muddying the waters, Israeli journalist Barak Ravid of Axios posted on X (formerly Twitter) that, according to officials with direct knowledge of the situation, no solid intelligence points to Sinwar being dead. Ravid quoted an Israeli official who described the current speculation as “hopes and guesses,” driven primarily by the fact that Sinwar has been out of communication for weeks. As reported by The Times of Israel, the official emphasized that there is no verified intelligence to support the claim of his death.

StopAntisemitism is hearing reports that Israel might have eliminated Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar.

We will update once confirmed. pic.twitter.com/wLBIsJOwnQ

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) September 22, 2024

Yahya Sinwar, believed to be the mastermind behind Hamas’s October 7 massacre, has been a key target of Israeli operations against the group’s leadership. As The Times of Israel highlighted, Israeli forces have successfully targeted several high-ranking Hamas leaders in recent months. In July, Israel assassinated Muhammad Deif, the chief of Hamas’s military wing, and Rafa’a Salameh, the head of the Khan Younis Brigade, in an airstrike on Gaza. Earlier in January, a drone strike killed Deputy Hamas chief Saleh al-Arouri in Beirut. In a separate incident, Ismail Haniyeh, another prominent Hamas leader, was killed in Tehran in July, in an attack widely attributed to Israel.

Given this context of targeted strikes against senior Hamas figures, it is understandable why reports of Sinwar’s possible death are gaining attention. However, as The Times of Israel emphasized, without confirmed intelligence, these reports remain speculative. Israeli officials are continuing their investigation, but for now, Sinwar’s fate remains uncertain, and the situation is being closely monitored.

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