The Israeli military said it is “checking the possibility” it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
A statement read: “During IDF operations in Gaza, three terrorists were eliminated.”
It added: “The IDF and ISA are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed.
“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of hostages in the area.
“The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with required caution.”
This came as unverified pictures claiming to show Sinwar’s lifeless body were circulating on social media.
Sinwar, dubbed the ‘Osama bin Laden of Gaza’, joined the ranks of the terror group Hamas in the early 1980 and became the organisation’s leader in the strip in 2017.
The man, believed to be the mastermind of the harrowing October 7 attacks that last year saw the killing of over 1200 people in southern Israel and the abduction of hundreds more, took over the full leadership of the terror group in light of the death of Ismail Haniyeh.
Haniyeh, the political leader of the group, died during a visit to Iran in July, with Hamas and Tehran blaming the killing on Israel which, in turn, has not claimed responsibility for the action.
If Sinwar’s death were to be confirmed, Israel could claim a major victory in its war on Hamas, with the group’s leader being one of the IDF’s main targets since the missile strikes and following ground invasion of Gaza began 12 months ago.
Over the past year, Israel has killed a number of senior Hamas leaders – including Saleh al-Arouri, a founding commander of the group’s military wing and the man regarded as the principal interlocutor between Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah.
Reports Israel may have also killed Mohammed Deif, a key elusive figure in Hamas also believed to have planned the October 7 attacks, emerged in July, although his death has not been confirmed.
Israel has also been targeting leaders of Hezbollah, and in September it killed its chief Hassan Nasrallah.
