A drone located Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and DNA analysis confirmed he had been hiding among the hostages.

Nearly two months before Israel's military accidentally located and killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar with the help of a drone, he had been hiding in southern Gaza with six Israeli hostages, one of whom was an American citizen.

In late August, the bodies of the hostages were recovered by Israel's military after they had been executed during a near-miss rescue attempt by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The incident led to a wave of protests and strong criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This information, initially reported by Israel's Channel 12 and confirmed to USA TODAY by a source on Friday, has fueled ongoing speculation about who might succeed Sinwar as the leader of Hamas. It also raises questions about how his death will affect the ongoing conflict in Gaza, whether it could accelerate efforts to negotiate a cease-fire and a hostage deal after more than a year of fighting, or whether it will further intensify the conflict across the region.

Basem Naim, a senior member of Hamas' political wing based in Qatar, stated on Friday that the death of Yahya Sinwar does not signify the end of the organization, asserting that Hamas "cannot be eliminated." Following Sinwar's death, Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based ally of Hamas, pledged to escalate its confrontation with Israel, while Iran, which supports both groups with funding and weapons, claimed that Sinwar's death would bolster regional "resistance" against Israel.


Yahya Sinwar, 61, was widely seen as the mastermind behind Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. He was killed by Israeli forces on Thursday during what appeared to be a routine search for Hamas operatives in a building in Rafah, which had been shelled by Israel. Sinwar's presence was discovered unexpectedly during the operation.


Read More:



Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader widely regarded as the mastermind behind the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, was identified posthumously through DNA, dental, and fingerprint records. These records were in Israel's possession from when Sinwar had been imprisoned for years after being convicted of killing IDF soldiers and alleged Palestinian collaborators.

**Yahya Sinwar is dead**

Drone footage released by the IDF on Thursday shows what are believed to be Sinwar's final moments. The video captures a drone entering a building with blown-out windows, everything coated in dust. The drone approaches a man seated in a chair, his face obscured. After a few moments, the man picks up what appears to be a stick or piece of debris and throws it at the drone. Shortly afterward, the IDF shelled the building, leading to Sinwar's death.