Rita Odafe
Hamas has officially announced the demise of its chief, Yahya Sinwar.
This news was shared by Khalil al-Hayya, the group’s deputy leader, on Friday.
In light of Sinwar’s passing, al-Hayya declared that no Israeli prisoners would be released until the conflict in Gaza comes to an end.
From his exile in Qatar, al-Hayya emphasized that Sinwar’s death would not alter Hamas’s stance.
In his first comments since the announcement of Sinwar’s death, al-Hayya stated, “We will continue to follow the path of Hamas,” asserting that their “banner will not fall.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also confirmed Sinwar’s death, indicating that it would not halt the ongoing operations in Gaza.
“Yahya Sinwar is dead; he was taken out in Rafah by the courageous soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces,” Netanyahu stated.
“This isn’t the conclusion of the war in Gaza; rather, it marks the beginning of the end,” he added.
Sinwar’s death reflects another chapter in the ongoing strife between Israel and Hamas.
Earlier, the Israeli military reported that Sinwar, who played a key role in the deadly October 7, 2023 attacks that resulted in over 1,000 fatalities in Israel, was killed during a confrontation with Israeli forces.
