The Israeli army announced that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during a ground operation in Rafah. The death of the new Hamas leader raised questions. Sinwar, who had been hiding in Gaza during the war, was sought by the Israeli army for over a year. Allegedly, on October 16, Israeli soldiers on patrol in southern Gaza accidentally encountered Sinwar. The leader’s death was confirmed by a recent statement from Hamas. Sinwar, a long-time target of the Israeli army, was found and killed. Who will be the new leader of Hamas after Sinwar’s death?

Yesterday evening, the Israeli army announced the death of the new Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar.

Sinwar’s ability to avoid capture or death prevented Israel from achieving a comprehensive victory in the war that began on October 7. Hamas political bureau member El Haya confirmed that Sinwar lost his life in an Israeli attack. El Haya stated, “The hostages will not be released as long as the attacks in Gaza do not stop and Israeli soldiers do not withdraw.” Hamas senior official Basem Naim also made a statement about Sinwar’s death. The official statement by Hamas expressed, “Losing exceptional leaders is painful.” The Israeli army had been searching for the Hamas leader, the planner of the October 7 attacks, for over a year. The army shared on its official account, “Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar.” Later, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz announced, “Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar has died.”

So how was Sinwar killed? It is said that 61-year-old Yahya Sinwar spent most of his time in tunnels under the Gaza Strip with a group of protectors and Israeli hostages. Allegedly, on October 16, Israeli soldiers patrolling in southern Gaza accidentally encountered Sinwar. The Israeli Defense Forces reported that a unit from the 828th Bislamach Brigade patrolled the Tal el-Sultan area near Rafah. Three Hamas members were identified in the area, leading to a conflict. At that point, nothing remarkable was noticed, so the soldiers did not return to the scene until Thursday morning. Later, when the bodies were examined, one was found to bear a strong resemblance to the Hamas leader. The soldiers then took a sample from the body they believed to be Sinwar to be sent for examination.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said their forces did not know that Sinwar was there but continued the operation. Footage released shows Sinwar being targeted by a drone before the attack. Israel announced for the first time on Thursday afternoon that it was “investigating” the possibility that Sinwar was killed in Gaza. Israeli Army Radio reported that visual evidence showed one of the deceased was Sinwar and DNA testing was still ongoing. The DNA testing results concluded that the body identified as Sinwar’s confirmed his identity. Israel has DNA samples taken from Sinwar during his time in an Israeli prison.

Sinwar was not killed in a targeted operation, however, Israeli forces claim to have conducted operations in areas where intelligence indicated Sinwar’s presence for weeks.

Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that Israel has bombed tunnels in areas suspected of harboring Sinwar in recent months.

The last leader of Hamas managed to lead without being captured in Gaza for over a year.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said about Sinwar’s death, “Hamas will not govern Gaza. This is an opportunity for the people of Gaza to be liberated from tyranny.”

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was elected to replace Ismail Haniyeh following an assassination, has been teaching international relations in the Middle East at Cambridge University. Roxane Farmanfarmaian spoke to Al Jazeera. Farmanfarmaian suggested that some possible leaders who could replace Yahya Sinwar may be “tougher” than him. The focus of speculation is on who could fill Sinwar’s shoes. According to the Lebanese news outlet LBCI, following Yahya Sinwar’s death, senior Hamas official Khalid Mashaal was chosen as the interim leader. Sources claim that Mashaal is in touch with allies across the region and has taken over negotiations related to Israeli captives and detainees.