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USA TodayOct 20
Israel: Hamas Leader Yahya Sinwar Killed in Rafah
Above: Yahya al-Sinwar, the Gaza Strip chief of the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement, addresses supporters during a rally marking Al-Quds (Jerusalem) Day in Gaza City, on April 14, 2023. Image copyright: Mohammed Abed/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
The Israeli military said on Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by Israeli forces in Rafah on Wednesday. Israeli forces reportedly saw a group of gunmen enter a building, calling in a strike. After assessing the aftermath, a body resembling Sinwar was found.
A DNA sample was taken to confirm that the body was Sinwar. Media reports in the past indicated that Sinwar was among Israeli hostages, but the Israeli army noted that no hostages were in the area. Hamas has not yet commented on the news.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Sinwar's death will be a good opportunity to restart negotiations and work toward a cease-fire that ends this war. US officials have spent months frustrated with the lack of progress in Doha and Cairo, but now, though things are still uncertain, there is a real chance that peace can come at last.
Pro-Israel narrative
The world will be a better place without Yahya Sinwar in it. Though his death may not lead to Hamas' collapse or the end of this war, the primary mastermind behind the group's Oct. 7 massacres is gone. Justice has been served.
Pro-Palestine narrative
Sinwar's life and death demonstrate why his reported killing will not be the end of Palestinian resistance. Born in one of Gaza's dense refugee camps to a family ethnically cleansed from what is now Ashkelon, Sinwar dedicated his life to fighting Israel. Israel's war on Gaza has likely created a thousand Yahya Sinwars.