This is an evolving story, so some of what is written below may be subject to change. I don’t usually post on Shabbat or chagim, but this feels worth posting.
Updated at 10:54pm EST, Oct 17, 2024
Yahya Sinwar is dead.
There will be no trial, but he is alleged to be the first high-priority terrorist eliminated whose body is being brought back to Israel.
Or as the CBC/BBC will likely report, “Revered scholar, champion of Palestinian nationalism, passionate negotiator, and cancer survivor, murdered in cold blood by Israeli occupying forces.”
From what has been reported thus far, it sounds like this was all a bit of a fluke.
Sinwar was allegedly hiding in Rafah (where the Israelis had been explicitly warned by the international community not to go). Israel’s Channel 11 is reporting that he was killed by an infantry soldier only nine months into his military service. The soldier saw three Hamas terrorists enter a building, and they fired on the building.
When the soldiers entered the building, they looked at the bodies and noticed that one of them (that had a significant amount of cash on it), looked a lot like Sinwar, the architect of the 10/7 attacks. DNA and dental proofs were taken, and given to Israeli authorities to identify.
It was later confirmed that Sinwar was in fact killed. Alongside him apparently also lay the body of Mahmoud Hamdan, the brother of Osama Hamdan, one of the top-level Hamas political bureau leaders hiding in Qatar.
The following was recounted by Nadav Eyal on the Call Me Back podcast on Oct 17:
There's an ongoing IDF operation that is just the regular activity of the IDF in the southern part of Gaza known to be a stronghold of Hamas's. In a specific neighborhood there, in which they are going alley to alley and house to house, and are trying to clear this area. Now this area doesn't have any civilian population left there so the basic assumption is that if you see young men in these areas and specifically if they are armed of course and they're not the IDF these are Hamas terrorists, and yesterday beginning in the morning there was a series of interactions between IDF forces in that specific neighborhood and between small groups - two to three people - of Hamas and these were basically gunfire. So you had there really not too dramatic house-to-house fire shot at soldiers, soldiers directing their own drones, some drones are used by the IDF on the ground by the units operating them. This is not a major operation of the IDF - it's part of its continuous presence in the southern part of Gaza so they were using drones that were affiliated with those infantry divisions and regiments that were operating there.
Now the specific regiments that we're talking about is the 450 Regiment and some forces from the 460 Regiment that come basically from the IDF training infantry and training tank branches. So these are by no stretch, you know, elite IDF forces, these are good infantry forces of the IDF but this is not commander units operating there.
They at a certain point had some intelligence they actually saw people in a specific house armed - actually a specific person not even people - in a specific house. They directed fire to that house with a tank that was operating with them. The tank shot a few shells into the house knowing there's an armed Hamas terrorist there, and in the morning early in the morning, they came and also using a drone they tried to see who was there and the first body that they found there was the Regiment Commander of Hamas in Khan Yunus. And that's important because regiment commanders for Hamas, you don't come across them that often, now the reason they knew it's this Regiment Commander is because that regiment commander of Khan Yunus was caught with his ID - with his Palestinian ID - on him so it was very easy to see that this is the same person. And next to him the soldiers found a body of a man that very obviously, and there are photos traveling through the Israeli web, and also appearing basically in Israeli media news sites, of a man who has striking similarity - a body that has striking similarity - to Yahya Sinwar. And for the soldiers there it was almost immediate that this is Yahya Sinwar. And at the point that we're recording this, we have sources within the Israeli police that are saying that they have compared dental photos that they have of Yahya Sinwar from the time that he was in prison - in Israeli prison - for the heinous crimes, during his time in Khan Yunus, that had, by the way nothing to do with killing Israelis at the time, but murdering Palestinians, that he accused of collaborating with Israeli forces and at any rate they have their dental records. They were compared with that body and they came to the conclusion that this is the same person and that Sinwar is dead. Hamas sources are also saying now that Sinwar is dead.
Let’s be clear: Sinwar was an evil man. He was initially detained in 1988 by Israel and charged for murder for killing four Palestinians with his bare hands. He was released as part of the Shalit Deal (after being cured of his cancer by an Israeli doctor while in detention(!!!)), and immediately began to plan to set the region on fire. He was never concerned about Palestinian lives. He simply wanted to end Israeli lives. This is a good day for humanity, including both the Palestinians and Israelis.
In the meantime, kol hakavod la’tzahal (well done IDF), and our thoughts are with the parents, siblings, children, and friends of the victims of 10/7, who should have some consolation that the mastermind of the 10/7 attack has been brought to justice.
The government of Israel must not squander this opportunity to bring the hostages home now.
Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke after Sinwar’s death was confirmed. He said the following:
Citizens of Israel, a year ago we celebrated the festival of Sukkot. At exactly that moment, Yahya Sinwar was making the final preparations for the slaughter of October 7.
I stand before you today to tell you that Yahya Sinwar has been eliminated. The one who carried out the worst massacre in the history of our people since the Holocaust, the mass murderer who murdered thousands of Israelis, abducted hundreds of our people, was eliminated today by our heroic soldiers.
Today, as we promised we would, we settled accounts with him.
Today, evil suffered a heavy blow, but our mission is not yet completed.
To the dear hostage families, I say: This is an important moment in the war. We will continue with full force until all your loved ones — our loved ones — are returned home. That is our supreme obligation. That is my supreme obligation
To the residents of Gaza, I say: Sinwar destroyed your lives. He told you he was a lion but in practice, he hid in a dark tunnel and was eliminated when he fled in a panic from our soldiers.
His elimination is an important milestone in the demise of the Hamas axis of evil.
I want to say again as clearly as possible: Hamas will not rule again in Gaza. This is the beginning of the day after Hamas, and this is an opportunity for you, residents of Gaza, to finally be free of its tyranny.
To the terrorists of Hamas, I say: Your leaders are fleeing and will be eliminated.
I say to all those who are holding our hostages: Those who put down their weapons and leave our hostages, we will allow them to come out and live. And by the same token, I say, those who harm our hostages, his blood is on his head and we will settle accounts with him.
The return of the hostages is an opportunity to achieve all of our goals, and it brings the end of the war nearer.
To the people of the region, I say: In Gaza, in Beirut, in the streets of the entire area, the darkness is withdrawing and the light is rising.
Deif, Haniyeh, Sinwar, Nasrallah, Mohsen, Aqil and many of their partners are no more.
I call on you, peoples of the region: We have a great opportunity to thwart the axis of evil and to create a different future, a future of peace, a future in which the entire region thrives. Together we can push away the curse and advance the blessing.
It’s now clear to all, in Israel and the world, why we insisted not to stop the war — why we insisted, in the face of all the pressures, yes to go into Rafah, the fortified stronghold of Hamas, where Sinwar and many of the mass-murderers were hiding.
I want to express deep appreciation to the fighters of the IDF and the Shin Bet, and their commanders, for their determined and brave operations. There are none better than them.
Today we again showed what happens to those who hurt us. Today, we again showed the world the victory of the good over the evil.
But the war, the war, my dear ones, is not yet finished. It is harsh and it takes a heavy price from us. I want to send from the bottom of my heart my condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. I want to embrace the families of our fallen heroes. Their ultimate sacrifice, including in these very days, brings us closer to victory.
As King David said, “I will pursue my enemies and destroy them. And I will not turn back until they are wiped out.”
Citizens of Israel, we are in the war of revival. We still face immense challenges. We need stamina, unity in the ranks, courage, determined resilience. Together we will fight and with God’s help, together we will win.
Am Yisrael Chai.
Not everyone realizes that Israeli doctors saved his life in 2004
I hope all is accurate. I just heard the news in Toronto, on the radio, and the newscaster said it may be the end of Sinwar. They were still waiting confirmation. It is frustrating for all of us, as we don't know who to believe anymore. I only hope the IDF can find the remaining hostages and pray they are alive!!! Chag Sameach!