Israel announced that he eliminated Yahya Sinwarleader of the Islamist movement Hamas, in a military operation in the south of the Gaza Strip. The action, described as a “hard blow” for the organization, was confirmed by the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahuwho claimed that Sinwar was responsible for the deadly October 7, 2023 incursion into southern Israel, in which more than 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and 251 were taken hostage.
The operation took place on October 16, 2024, after a search that lasted more than a year. According to the Israeli army, the corps Sinwar was transferred to a morgue in Tel Aviv for additional tests. However, Hamas did not confirm the death of its leader, who had been named political head of the group in August, after the murder of Ismail Haniyeh in an attack in Tehran.
Netanyahu stressed that, although the elimination of Sinwar represents a significant blow, “the war in Gaza It is not over yet” and reiterated his commitment to recovering the hostages still in the hands of Hamas. According to the Israeli army, 97 people remain captive, although it is estimated that 34 of them have already died. The release of the hostages was a priority for both Israel as for its international allies.
The war in Gaza, which began immediately after the October 7 attack, left an alarming number of victims. According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministrymore than 42 thousand Palestinians have died, mostly civilians. Furthermore, humanitarian conditions deteriorated dramatically, with almost the entire population living in poverty, according to a report by the International Labor Organization (OIT).
The conflict is not limited to Gaza. Israel also intensified its operations in Lebanon and Syria, in response to the attacks of Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite militant group. The offensive left 19 Israeli soldiers dead in fighting with Hezbollah, while recent airstrikes in the Libano and Syria They seek to destroy key objectives of the group. Additionally, the United States launched air offensives against Houthi-controlled facilities in Yemen in an effort to reduce Iranian influence.
symbolic triumph of Netanyahu: expert
He Israeli army kills Yahya Sinwarleader of HamasHowever, his death did not represent a main objective for Tel Aviv, according to Agustín Berea, expert in studies of Asia y Africa by the College of Mexico.
For Prime Minister Netanyahu, it is a “symbolic victory,” given that Sinwar was “public enemy number one.” However, Berea warns that Israel’s strategic objectives remain unfulfilled, as the rescue of hostages and the total elimination of Hamas are complex.
The insurgency has already demonstrated adaptability and will continue its resistance, according to the expert. However, Sinwar’s death could open a truce.