Who was Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' elusive leader killed by Israel in Gaza?

Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza and head of the group's political bureau, is one of several high-ranking Hamas officials to be killed by Israel in the ongoing war.

Adam Lucente Beatrice Farhat
Adam Lucente , Beatrice Farhat
Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement speaks during a gathering in Gaza City, April 30, 2022.
Yahya Sinwar, leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement, speaks during a gathering in Gaza City, April 30, 2022. — MOHAMMED ABED/AFP via Getty Images

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed in Gaza, the Israeli military said on Thursday, ending his yearslong tenure as the group’s leader in the Palestinian enclave.

Israel confirmed Sinwar's death using DNA analysis, the military said.

Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, reported that Sinwar, 61, had been killed in exchange of fire between Israeli soldiers and Hamas fighters in Rafah, in southern Gaza.

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