Sudden! Israeli military claims Hamas leader may have been shot dead

The Israel Defense Forces announced on Thursday that Hamas leader Zinwal may have died in an attack in the Gaza Strip. He was charged by Israel as the mastermind of the “Al-Aqsa flood operation” on October 7 last year.

The IDF said, “Preliminary reports indicate that three terrorists were eliminated during the IDF operation against the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces and the Israel Intelligence Service are verifying whether one of the terrorists is Sinwar.”

The statement added, “At this stage, it is impossible to confirm the identity of the terrorists. There were no signs of the presence of hostages in the buildings where the terrorists were destroyed. The forces operating in this area will continue to act with the necessary care.”

The exact circumstances and location of the Israeli military's actions are unclear. It is widely believed that Sinwar has always hid in tunnels in the Gaza Strip, never stayed in one place for too long, and avoided using communication technology, instead relying on messengers. Sinwar took over as Hamas Politburo chairman this summer.

The Israel Defense Forces are carrying out large-scale ground attacks in northern Gaza, mainly around the Jabaliya refugee camp, but they also said that in the past day, they killed militants in the southern Gaza city of Rafah and began operations outside the central refugee camps of Nusserrat and Brej.

Hamas had no immediate comment. But if this news is confirmed, it will be a major impetus for the Israeli military and Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

In recent months, Israel has carried out a series of high-profile assassinations, killing the well-known leader of the enemy, Hezbollah leader Nasrallah, in a large-scale Israeli air strike in Beirut at the end of last month; former Hamas political leader Haniyeh was attacked in Tehran in July; and in the same month, Hamas military leader Mohammed Daif was also killed in the Gaza Strip.