What we know
- In Hamas' first public response to Israel's killing of its leader, Yahya Sinwar, a senior member of the organization told NBC News today that the militant group would only become stronger. Hamas later declared mourning for Sinwar in a lengthy obituary.
- Israeli forces in Gaza killed Sinwar, the architect of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday.
- In an address today, Netanyahu said that Israel would continue the war, dashing hopes that Sinwar's death could open a pathway to peace.
- The Israeli military sent more troops into northern Gaza and called up an additional reserve brigade to northern Israel.
- Hezbollah vowed to escalate fighting against Israel. Iran said “the spirit of resistance” would be strengthened by Sinwar's death.
- Immediately after Sinwar's death yesterday, hostages’ families called on the Israeli government to negotiate for their relatives' release, while some Palestinians voiced hope that the death may bring an end to the war.
Analysis: Sinwar’s final moments evoke uncomfortable parallels to Israel hero
Dramatic footage released by the Israeli military that purport to show Yahya Sinwar's final moments will be etched in the Palestinian national memory for generations to come: the defiance of Sinwar, covered in dust and with his right arm appearing to have been blown off, yet still fighting.
It's an image that brings to mind an uncomfortable comparison to Israel’s national hero Joseph Trumpeldor, the one-armed Zionist resistance fighter.
Trumpeldor has become a mythical figure, an icon of Zionism and heroic patriotism. He died more than a century ago in the 1920 battle for Tel-Hai, but his legacy lives on, inspiring generation after generation of kids-turned-soldiers. His famous last words were said to be, "It’s good to die for our country."
The phrase is displayed in children’s classrooms in Israel, written in textbooks and recited on Memorial Day. Songs were written about his famous final words and fervent fighting spirit. Streets named after Trumpeldor can be found in cities across Israel, and a lion’s monument stands where Trumpeldor fell.
For many Israelis, though, it feels uncomfortable to draw a comparison between their iconic hero, the symbol of courageous Zionism, and Sinwar — the man who died trying to eradicate it.
Still, it’s not unreasonable to think that Sinwar’s fighting spirit in his last moments will leave a legacy inspiring generations to come — and the drone footage released by Israel showing it will likely serve as a digital monument to Palestinian resistance.
White House official warns that Hamas is still a threat
National security spokesperson John Kirby said Hamas is in a much weaker position than ever after the death of its leader, Yahya Sinwar. Speaking to the press in Berlin, Kirby said this has created a unique opportunity to discuss a cease-fire and the return of hostages from Gaza.
“The military structure of Hamas has just been nearly decimated,” he said. “They are absolutely incapable, as you and I are speaking here today, of conducting another attack on the scale of Oct. 7.”
Still, Kirby warned, Hamas, while a “shadow of their former self,” could still be lethal and has enough capability left that it should not be underestimated.
“They still exist as a terrorist organization. They’re still in Gaza. They’re still holding hostages,” he said, adding that while there are no active negotiations taking place, this could change now.
“We have never stopped having conversations with our counterparts in Qatar and Egypt about the possibility of getting something started,” he said.
Israeli military releases further details on the operation that killed Sinwar
In a briefing today, IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani revealed further details about the operation that killed Yahya Sinwar.
While the search for Sinwar took a year, the battle began on Wednesday when IDF forces identified three suspects in Rafah. After an exchange of fire, Sinwar was wounded, Shoshani said.
Sinwar and the two others sought refuge in separate buildings. IDF forces engaged them, killed the two others, and later used a drone and a tank to demolish the third building where Sinwar was located, according to Shoshani.
Sinwar was identified through DNA, fingerprint, and dental tests. The area had been booby-trapped, slowing the process of retrieving his body, he said.
Fatah: Sinwar ended his life with 'honorable heroism'
Abbas Zaki, a member of Fatah’s central committee, issued a statement following Hamas' confirmation of Sinwar's death. Fatah, which dominates the Palestinian Authority that governs the West Bank, has long been a rival of Hamas, which pushed Fatah out of power in Gaza in 2007. The factions signed a declaration of unity in Beijing in July.
Sinwar ended his life with "honorable heroism," Zaki said in his statement. "He was not hiding underground or behind the confrontation lines, but rather he was carrying his weapon and his quiver and fighting like any resistance fighter in the field."
Iranian leaders issue statements mourning Sinwar
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a statement today that the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar “will not weaken the resistance” against Israel, while noting that it is “a deep loss.”
In a separate statement on X, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said "the cause for liberation of Palestine from occupation is more alive than ever."
Iran is the primary state backer of Hamas.
"The war will continue and seems in won't end," a resident of the West Bank told NBC News, in reaction to the death of Yahya Sinwar.
U.S. Defense Secretary: This is a chance 'to end this awful war'
The killing of Yahya Sinwar presents an opportunity to negotiate a cease-fire, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters today after a NATO meeting in Brussels.
Sinwar’s death "provides an extraordinary opportunity to achieve a lasting cease-fire, to end this awful war and to rush humanitarian aid into Gaza," he said, according to Reuters.
The statement strikes a divergent note from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who vowed today to continue the war.
Austin also reaffirmed America's commitment to Israel, adding that the U.S. forces in the Middle East are ready to support Israel's defense.
Palestinians rally for Sinwar in occupied West Bank
People gather on the streets of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank today, waving Palestinian flags and holding portraits of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Senior Hamas official: Sinwar's death 'will only increase' our solidarity
Khalil Al-Hayya, a top official of Hamas' political bureau, said in a speech today that the group is undeterred by Yahya Sinwar’s death.
The death of Sinwar "will only increase the strength and solidity of our movement," Al-Hayya said, calling Sinwar "a continuation of the caravan of great martyrs in the footsteps of the founding Sheikh Ahmed Yassin," who was assassinated by Israel in 2004.
Al-Hayya did not name a successor to Sinwar but made clear that Hamas would remain steadfast in its perseverance.
"Hamas is moving forward until the establishment of the Palestinian state on all Palestinian soil with Jerusalem as its capital," he said.
Israel sends more troops into north Gaza, deepens raid
The Israeli military said on Friday it sent another army unit to support its forces operating in Jabalia, the largest of Gaza’s eight historic refugee camps, where residents said tanks blew up roads and houses as they thrust further into the territory.
Residents of Jabalia in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire, after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.
They added that the Israeli army was destroying dozens of houses on a daily basis, sometimes from the air and the ground and by placing bombs in buildings then detonating them remotely.
The Israeli military said its forces, which have been operating in Jabalia for the past two weeks, killed dozens of militants in close-quarters combat on Thursday and carried out aerial strikes and dismantled military infrastructure.
