Hamas leader's death sparks debate over group's resilience
- Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed in combat in Gaza, announced Khalil al-Hayya, the deputy head of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and the chief negotiator representing this Palestinian group during peace talks, on Friday. The Israeli army killed Sinwar on Thursday. The Israeli Foreign Minister described him as a "mass murderer" responsible for the massacre and crimes on 7th October 2023.
- Those prisoners will not return to you before the end of the aggression on Gaza and the withdrawal from Gaza - stated al-Hayya.
Hamas "cannot be destroyed"
Earlier, Basem Naim, a member of the political bureau of this Palestinian group, said, "It seems that Israel believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people."
He added, "Yes, it’s very painful and distressing to lose beloved people, especially extraordinary leaders like ours, but what we are sure of is that we are eventually victorious; this is the outcome for all people who fought for their liberty."
He also listed several leaders of the group who have been killed in the past and emphasised that each time, after their deaths, Hamas became "stronger and more popular, and these leaders became an icon for future generations to continue the journey towards a free Palestine."
Architect of attacks on Israel killed
The Israeli army announced on Thursday that the leader of Hamas was killed on Wednesday in the southern Gaza Strip. Sinwar held the position of head of the Hamas political bureau since 6th August of this year. His predecessor was Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed on 31st July in Tehran in an attack attributed to Israel.
Unlike Haniyeh, who resided in exile in Qatar, Sinwar had lived in the Gaza Strip for many years, where he led the organisation's structures for a long time. Islamist Hamas has ruled the Gaza Strip independently since 2007.
Sinwar is considered one of the main architects of the attack on Israel on 7th October 2023, resulting in the death of about 1,200 people. It was the most significant terrorist attack in the history of that country.
In response to the attack, Israel launched a war against Hamas that continues to this day, in which, according to local authorities, over 42,000 residents of the Gaza Strip have been killed.
