Johannesburg,South Africa

Hamas has confirmed the death of their leader Yahya Sinwar who was killed on Wednesday by Israeli forces in southern Gaza,Rafah.

Sinwar spent most of his youthful days on Israel prison as he was incarcerated for 22 years and was released in 2011 during Wafa al-Ahrar deal.

He was born on 29 October 1962,was freed on prison on 18 October 2011,launched an attack to Israel on 7 October 2023 and died on 17 October 2024.

Hamas has described Sinwar as hero and freedom fighter for the people of Palestine who had been living under the occupation of Israel for the past 75 years.

When he died he was occupying the leadership role for Islamic Resistance Movement(Hamas) as the Head of the Political Bureau.

He occupied that position less than three months ago after the death of Ismail Haniyeh who was assassinated by Israel agents while he was in the Islamic Republic of Iran where he was attending an presidential inauguration ceremony.

Hamas has decorated Sinwar as the creative leader and mastermind of the Battle of the Flood of Al-Aqsa which took place on October 7 last year in southern Israel,in that day more than 1200 people lost their lives during that attack and others were taken to Gaza as hostages.

The resistance has dismissed Israel's claims that Sinwar was hiding in tunnels,or was surrounded by captives or surrounded by Palestinian civilians.

Hamas has viewed death of Sinwar as victory for the Palestinians because he did not surrender to the enemy and he did not abandon his people while were murdered by Israeli occupation army.

Hamas has made it clear that the death of Sinwar does not mean the hostages will be released just like that except if the occupation army leave Gaza and release all Palestinians that languishing in Israel prisons.

It said to those lamenting the captured occupiers held by the resistance,we say:they will not return except with the cessation of aggression on Gaza,its withdrawal,and the release of heroic prisoners from the occupation's jails.

Sinwar was only carrying mints,Islamic books,ID cards and a pistol when he was killed by Israeli sniper which shot him on the head.

On Thursday,Israel Defence Forces(IDF) revealed that Sinwar was assassinated by the soldiers of the Southern Command and he was not alone when was killed.

IDF said in recent weeks,IDF and ISA forces,under the command of the Southern Command,have been operating in the southern Gaza Strip,following IDF and ISA intelligence that indicated the suspected locations of senior members of Hamas.IDF soldiers of the 828th Brigade(Bislach) operating in the area identified and eliminated three terrorists.After completing the process of identifying the body,it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was eliminated.