Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, killed by Israeli forces

Yahya Sinwar, the person of Hamas, has been killed by Israeli soldiers successful confederate Gaza, Israel has confirmed.

Sinwar had led the equipped radical successful Gaza since 2017 and was described by Israel, the US and UK arsenic the mastermind down the 7 October attacks - erstwhile Hamas gunmen killed astir 1,200 radical successful Israel and took 251 hostages.

Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's premier minister, said the sidesplitting of the Hamas main marked not the extremity but the "beginning of the end" of the year-long warfare Gaza.

The Israeli subject said Sinwar was among 3 militants killed connected Wednesday during a raid connected a gathering successful Rafah suspected of being utilized by elder Hamas figures.

It added that determination were nary signs of hostages astatine the site. It has antecedently been claimed that Sinwar would question with Israeli hostages arsenic a means of protection.

Three gunmen were sighted by Israeli soldiers moving from location to house, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Daniel Hagari said. Once fired upon, they divided up and Sinwar entered a gathering alone.

He was spotted sitting successful a seat by a drone - which helium threw a portion of wood at, Hagari added. Soldiers entered the gathering and recovered Sinwar with a vest, a weapon and 40,000 shekels (£8,240), helium said.

Lt Col Hertzi Halevi, main of the IDF, said: "We said we would get to him and we did get to him. The satellite is present amended disconnected without him."

Confirmation of his decease was delayed by respective hours, arsenic Israel compared dental records and fingerprints. Israel volition person had his familial information connected record from the decades helium spent successful an Israeli prison.

Earlier, graphic images circulating online appeared to amusement a dormant assemblage resembling Sinwar lying successful rubble with a terrible caput injury.

The IDF said astatine the clip it was imaginable helium had been killed - but did not privation to prematurely corroborate the decease of a antheral it had been pursuing for implicit a year.

Netanyahu hailed the sidesplitting of Sinwar, saying: "While this is not the extremity of the warfare successful Gaza, it's the opening of the end."

He said the struggle could extremity "tomorrow" if Hamas lays down its arms and returns the remaining hostages held successful Gaza.

Earlier, addressing the families of the hostages, Netanyahu said Israel would "continue with each our mightiness until we bring each 1 of your loved ones home, arsenic they are our loved ones too".

Netanyahu told Gazans that Sinwar "destroyed your lives".

"Hamas volition nary longer power Gaza," helium said. "This is the opening of the time aft Hamas, and it is an accidental for you, the residents of Gaza, to yet escaped yourselves from its tyranny."

Sinwar's sidesplitting comes aft Hamas's governmental leader, Ismail Haniyeh, was killed successful an Israeli aerial onslaught connected the Iranian capital, Tehran, successful July. Sinwar was subsequently named arsenic Hamas's wide leader, assuming Haniyeh's relation arsenic well.

Sinwar - who was wide known arsenic Abu Ibrahim - was calved successful Khan Younis successful confederate Gaza successful 1962. He was archetypal arrested by Israel aged 19 for "Islamic activities".

Aged 25, successful the precocious 1980s, helium founded the Hamas information work al-Majd, which punished those accused of alleged morality offences and those suspected of collaborating with Israel.

In 1988, helium was sentenced to 4 beingness presumption successful situation successful Israel - but was among the 1,027 prisoners released successful speech for Gilad Shalit, an Israeli worker held captive by Hamas successful Gaza for implicit 5 years, successful 2011.

Israel's overseas minister, Israel Katz, said Sinwar's sidesplitting was a "significant subject and motivation achievement".

Yoav Gallant, the defence minister, said Sinwar "joins a agelong bid of eliminations".

"Sinwar died portion beaten, persecuted and connected the tally - helium didn’t dice arsenic a commander, but arsenic idiosyncratic who lone cared for himself.

"This is simply a wide connection to each of our enemies."

Hamas has yet to remark connected Sinwar's killing, and determination is nary denotation of who volition instrumentality his place.

Iran backs Hamas with funding, weapons and training. The country's ngo to the UN posted connected X that the sidesplitting of Sinwar would pb to the strengthening of "the tone of resistance".

"He volition go a exemplary for the younker and children who volition transportation guardant his way toward the liberation of Palestine," the ngo said.

US President Joe Biden congratulated Netanyahu successful a telephone telephone with the Israeli leader, saying it was "a bully time for Israel, for the United States and for the world".

He added that the decease of Sinwar proved "once again that nary terrorists anyplace successful the satellite tin flight justice".

Former CIA manager David Petraeus told BBC Radio 4 that Sinwar's decease was "bigger" than Osama Bin Laden's successful 2012 - "both hugely symbolic... but besides hugely operational" arsenic Sinwar was the wide person of Hamas.

Israel's stated purpose for entering Gaza successful the aftermath of the 7 October onslaught was to destruct Hamas.

Sir John Sawers, who headed up the UK's overseas quality work MI6 from 2009 to 2014, said Netanyahu would present privation to "press home" his advantage.

He told BBC Radio 4's World Tonight programme: "Netanyahu astatine the infinitesimal feels helium has a existent vantage implicit not conscionable Hamas but Hezbollah and Iran itself is connected the backmost foot.

"And I deliberation his instinct volition beryllium to property location that advantage."

Sir John said helium suspected the Israeli PM would question to execute astir of the country's subject goals earlier the adjacent US president is inaugurated successful January.

Britain's premier minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said the UK would "not mourn" Sinwar's decease and called for the merchandise of each hostages held by Hamas and a extremity of "long-term, sustainable bid successful the Middle East".

French President Emmanuel Macron said the decease was an "opportunity" to bring the struggle successful the Middle East to an end. However, Giorgia Meloni, Italy's premier minister, said that it opened a "new phase" successful the war.

The Hamas-run Gaza wellness ministry says astir 42,500 person been killed truthful acold and much than 99,000 injured successful the conflict. It does not differentiate betwixt civilians and combatants.

Some 101 hostages are thought to inactive beryllium live successful Gaza. The families of the 7 American hostages said successful a associated connection that "all parties indispensable instantly prehend this opportunity" to bring them location "before it is excessively late".

In his remarks, Netanyahu admitted that the warfare was "difficult and it is costing america dearly", but added: "Today we made wide erstwhile again what happens to those who harm us."