Is Yahya Sinwar dead? Israel says ‘missing’ Hamas chief may have been wounded or killed in recent strike

Contradictory reports emerged this week about the death of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar amidst the Gaza war. The development comes mere days after Israel proposed a new ceasefire deal that would have seen the militant leader being offered safe passage into an exile from Gaza. Sinwar had taken charge of the group last month following the death of long-time leader

IDF spokesperson, Danial Hagari said that he “would not rule it out or confirm” the possibility as Sinwar remained incommunicado on Monday. Israeli authorities are reportedly looking into the possibility that the Hamas chief was wounded or killed in a recent Gaza airstrike.

According to reports, the newly appointed Hamas chief may have fallen victim to a deadly rocket strike that targeted a school in the war-torn strip. Palestinian Health authorities said 22 people had been killed during the strike aimed at a Hamas command center.

A social media post by journalist Ben Caspit however dubbed it an unlikely possibility.

“There have also been cases in the past when he disappeared and we thought he was killed, but then he reappeared,” the Israeli scribe wrote on X citing ‘knowledgeable’ sources.

The assault on Gaza — now nearly a year long — carried on even as international attention turned to the conflict in Lebanon and northern Israel. Airstrikes killed eight Palestinians (including five children) on Monday morning in the Deir al-Balah region. Meanwhile at least 50 people were killed and around 300 wounded in neighbouring Lebanon as the Israeli military struck around 300 targets.  

Israel also urged residents of southern Lebanon to evacuate from homes and other buildings where it claimed Hezbollah has stored weapons, saying the military would conduct “extensive strikes” against the militant group. 

It was the first warning of its kind in nearly a year of steadily escalating conflict and came after a particularly heavy exchange of fire on Sunday. Hezbollah launched around 150 rockets, missiles and drones into northern Israel in retaliation for strikes that killed a top commander and dozens of fighters.

(With inputs from agencies)