Hamas confirms death of Yahya Sinwar but says killing of leader will only serve to 'strengthen them'
18 October 2024, 16:31 | Updated: 18 October 2024, 16:35
A top Hamas official has confirmed the death of their leader, Yahya Sinwar - but said it will only "strengthen them".
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The mastermind behind the October 7 attacks was killed in airstrikes by the IDF in a chance encounter in southern Gaza.
Mr al-Hayyaa, in a televised statement, reiterated the Palestinian militant group's stance that it will not release Israeli hostages captured in last year's attack until there is a ceasefire in the war in Gaza.
"Those prisoners will not return to you before the end of the aggression on Gaza and the withdrawal from Gaza," he said.
Mr al-Hayyaa was Mr Sinwar's Qatar-based deputy and represented Hamas during several rounds of ceasefire negotiations.
Iran's foreign minister also said his death is a "source of inspiration for resistance fighters across the region".
IDF footage shows final moments of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar
In the statement, Hamas heralded Mr Sinwar as a hero who "ascended as a heroic martyr, advancing and not retreating, brandishing his weapon, engaging and confronting the occupation army at the forefront of the ranks".
The statement appeared to refer to a video circulating of Mr Sinwar's last moments, in which he sits on a chair in a badly damaged building, severely wounded and covered in dust.
He then suddenly raises his hand and flings a stick at an approaching Israeli miniature drone in an apparent final act of defiance.
The statement came after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah vowed on Friday to launch a new phase of fighting against Israel, a day after Israel said its forces in Gaza had killed Mr Sinwar, believed to be the chief architect of last year's deadly attack on Israel that sparked the multifront war.
Read more: Starmer says 'UK won't mourn death of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar' as Biden calls for end to Gaza war
Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, which hailed Mr Sinwar as a martyr who can inspire others in challenging Israel.
"We, and countless others around the world, salute his selfless struggle for liberation of the Palestinian people," Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Martyrs live forever, and the cause for liberation of Palestine from occupation is more alive than ever."
The IDF released a video appearing to show the final moments of the terror group's leader.
It shows him sitting in a chair, covered in dust, in the ruins of a building before throwing an object at the drone filming him.
During a press conference on Thursday, IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said the drone had identified three terrorists who had been fleeing between buildings.
"Sinwar fled alone into one of the buildings," he said."Sinwar, who was injured in his hand by gunfire, can be seen here with his face covered, in his final moments, throwing a wooden plank at the drone.
"We identified him as a terrorist inside a building, fired at the building, and then went in to search.
"We found him with a vest, a pistol, and 40,000 shekels. He was on the run, fleeing, and our forces eliminated him."
He added: "Sinwar was responsible for the most brutal attack against Israel in our history when terrorists from Gaza invaded Israel, massacred Israelis in their homes, raped our women, burned entire families alive and took over 250 men, women and children, babies, hostage to Gaza.
"For the past year, Sinwar tried to escape justice. He failed. We said we would find him and bring him to justice, and we did. "It was Yahya Sinwar who decided to wage war with Israel while hiding behind civilians in Gaza."
Following confirmation of his death, Keir Starmer said the UK would not mourn Sinwar."
As the leader of the terrorist group Hamas, Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind behind the deadliest day in Jewish history since the Holocaust, as 1200 people were slaughtered in Israel," Sir Keir said.
"Today my thoughts are with the families of those victims. The UK will not mourn his death.
"The release of all hostages, an immediate ceasefire and an increase in humanitarian aid are long overdue so we can move towards a long-term, sustainable peace in the Middle East."
US President Joe Biden encouraged Israel to use this victory as an opportunity for peace.In a statement, Mr Biden compared it to the feeling in the US after the killing of al Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who was responsible for the September 11 attacks on the US in 2001.
Sinwar’s death "proves once again that no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes," Biden added.
The President will now speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders "and discuss the pathway for bringing the hostages home to their families, and for ending this war once and for all".
