The Unexpected Encounter: Yahya Sinwar’s Demise
For more than a year, Israel’s security apparatus, with significant backing from the United States, poured immense resources into tracking down Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader widely regarded as one of the chief architects behind the harrowing attacks of October 7. However, in a surprising twist of fate, it was a unit of trainee squad commanders who stumbled upon Mr. Sinwar during a routine operation in southern Gaza.
According to four Israeli defense officials, who requested anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information, the unit was conducting patrols in southern Gaza on a Wednesday when they encountered a small assembly of fighters. The soldiers, supported by drone surveillance, engaged in a fierce firefight, resulting in the deaths of three Palestinian militants.
As the clashes unfolded, Israeli gunfire caused part of a building to collapse where the militants had sought refuge, two officials recounted. Once the dust settled, the soldiers began to sift through the debris and were met with an astonishing sight: one of the bodies bore an uncanny resemblance to that of the Hamas leader.
This revelation was especially striking given that both Israeli and U.S. intelligence had long believed Mr. Sinwar, wary of his own safety, was hiding underground, using Israeli hostages as human shields to deter assassination attempts.
Photographs obtained by The New York Times, some of which later circulated widely online, depict a man whose facial features strikingly resemble those of Mr. Sinwar. The body displayed numerous severe injuries, including significant trauma to the head and leg. Distinctive moles near the eyes and crooked teeth were among the identifiable features that matched archival footage of Mr. Sinwar.
Hours following the conclusion of the firefight, the Israeli soldiers approached the bodies with extreme caution, as the area remained littered with explosives. There was a prevailing concern that the body of one fighter, later confirmed to be Mr. Sinwar, could have been booby-trapped.
Alongside the militants, the troops discovered cash and an array of weaponry, according to one official who shared images from the scene, which included various items laid out for examination. The soldiers were also apprehensive about the possibility of hostages being present in the vicinity, but thorough searches revealed no evidence of any captured individuals being in the area at the time. The Israeli military later confirmed that there was no indication that any of the hostages still held in Gaza suffered harm during the confrontation.
On Thursday evening, after completing their identification process, the Israeli military formally announced the death of Yahya Sinwar, marking a significant moment in ongoing hostilities.
Contributors: Aric Toler, Riley Mellen, and Christiaan Triebert.