Live updates: Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel says

Israeli forces identified three Hamas militants moving from house to house yesterday when Sinwar fled into a building on his own, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari said in a briefing today. 

The military sent in a drone that identified a masked man with a wounded hand, who has since been identified as Sinwar, before he threw a wooden plank at the drone, Hagari said. A video from the drone released by the IDF shows a man sitting down in a destroyed building, but his face is entirely covered, and he does not turn his face to the camera. 

“We found him wearing a vest, carrying a gun, and with 40,000 shekels,” Hagari said. “He was on the run, fleeing, and our forces eliminated him.” 

While Sinwar's death may give Netanyahu a "bonus" in his political standing, Thabaat El-Moaar is unconvinced it will change Hamas' demands.

El-Mooar, a writer and political analyst who spoke to NBC News in Khan Younis, said Sinwar's is just one of a long list of assassinations that have not stopped the "resistance." El-Moaar does not believe that changes Hamas' standing or forces a surrender.

"According to Netanyahu, he has accomplished achievements on the ground," he said. "These achievements indeed satisfied Netanyahu, but it won’t stop the resistance."

With Sinwar dead, there is no more justification for the war, said El-Moaar, who called for a deal to end the war and release the hostages.

There will be some who grieve the death of Yahya Sinwar, but it's doubtful that most Gazans will be among them, said Omar Dajani, who worked with the Palestinian negotiating team peace talks during the Clinton administration.

“Even if one could put to the side the tens of thousands of lives lost and the many more lives destroyed ... I believe the assault Sinwar masterminded made finding a way for Jews and Palestinians to live together in peace on our common homeland much, much harder," Dajani said.

Sinwar's actions made it harder to demand that international law be applied, and it made the return of Palestinian refugees harder. The future of Palestinian workers trying to make a living will be more difficult, as well as cohabitation in Jerusalem between Israelis and Palestinians, he said.

"And he did it all without any concrete notion of how it would secure his contorted and fantastical vision of liberation," Dajani said.

Sinwar's death is "significant for Israel’s government ... at the very least in terms of it being a political win, with the commemoration of the Oct. 7 attack only having just passed," Mahdi Ghuloom, a regional security analyst at Le Beck International, told NBC News.

In an email before Israel confirmed it had killed Sinwar, Ghuloom said the development could "present a window of opportunity for cease-fire talks to resume," adding: "Sinwar was reportedly a big barrier to such talks from succeeding."

"We are already seeing statements by Israeli hostage families calling on PM Netanyahu to grasp such an opportunity and secure a hostage release deal. Whether the Israeli government does seize this opportunity remains to be seen, as well as who may replace Sinwar," he said.

He said Sinwar's death could also "mark a new phase for Hamas" in its approach to the fight against Israeli forces.

Intelligence tipped off the IDF that Hamas leadership was near the Rafah area, which led to weeks of operations in southern Gaza, IDF spokesperson Doron Spielman told MSNBC.

The area the leaders could move in was restricted, which Spielman said troops hoped would force them to make a mistake. Sinwar eventually fell into the trap when he and two others started firing on IDF soldiers, he said.

"The Israeli troops returned fire — also with a tank mortar shell — the mortar shell hit the building, killing Sinwar and the other terrorists," Spielman said.

Rita Lifschitz, whose in-laws were kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023, fears Yahya Sinwar’s death makes the safe release of hostages less likely. She is worried about what Hamas’ next leader may do.

Israelis celebrated the news of Sinwar's death tonight in the coastal city of Netanya, above, and near Kibbutz Erez, below, in southern Israel.

In Tel Aviv, a demonstrator held a sign about his death during a protest calling for a cease-fire deal and the immediate release of hostages.

From Air Force One, Biden called Netanyahu to congratulate him on Sinwar's death, the prime minister's office said.

"The American president praised the IDF for the excellent work," the office said.

According to the statement, the two men agreed to work together on the potential release of the remaining hostages.

Hamas may be forced to accept defeat now that Israel has dealt it a "lethal blow" in killing Sinwar, researcher Burcu Ozcelik told NBC News.

Ozcelik, who worked at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London, described Sinwar as a "cult of personality" leader whom his followers regarded as “near invincible.”

"With Sinwar, an intractable and non-compromising Hamas leader, now gone, it may be possible for Israel and the Palestinian National Authority, alongside regional states, to begin planning for the ‘day after’ scenario in Gaza," Ozcelik said.

Biden said Sinwar's death was good for Israel, the U.S. and the world.

Israel's military has been chasing Hamas' leadership with help from American intelligence, Biden said, "forcing them onto the run" over the last year. Sinwar’s death proves that “no terrorists anywhere in the world can escape justice, no matter how long it takes,” he added.

"There has rarely been a military campaign like this, with Hamas leaders living and moving through hundreds of miles of tunnels, organized in multiple stories underground, determined to protect themselves with no care for the civilians suffering above ground," Biden said.

Biden said he would be speaking with Israeli leaders to congratulate them and discuss a path "for ending this war once and for all."

In the wake of Sinwar’s death, the U.S. will push harder to end the war in Gaza with its regional partners and chart a new path forward, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today.

Blinken said in a statement that Sinwar had rebuffed efforts for a hostage return deal in past months.

“In the days ahead, the United States will redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict, secure the release all hostages, and chart a new path forward that will enable the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from war and free from the brutal grip of Hamas," he said.

The parents of Omer Neutra, one of the 101 remaining hostages in Gaza, told MSNBC that they are holding their breath in the hope that Sinwar's death may be a step toward bringing their son home.

Ronen and Orna Neutra said that Netanyahu's speech today was the strongest language they've heard from him about hostages in months and that they believe the country is at an "inflection point" in the war.

Sinwar's death is unlikely to end Hamas' reign in Gaza, Frank Lowenstein, who was special envoy for Israeli-Palestinian negotiations in the Obama administration, told NBC News.

The reality is that Hamas has tens of thousands of fighters, and it's likely that there was a succession plan for Sinwar before he was killed, Lowenstein said. Israel's assassination of former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah showed that such groups "survive the death of their leaders."

But that won't be immediate, he added, as new leaders are unlikely to make compromises right out of the gate. It's also unlikely to soften Iran, as the regime there may feel it can't be seen as backing down to Israel as its proxies are hit.

"Killing Sinwar may have a significant impact on the Israeli side by giving Bibi more political space to eventually make some compromises," Lowenstein said, referring to Netanyahu. "But for now, seems likely the IDF will try to take advantage of the opportunity to strike hard at Hamas when they are reeling, as they did in Lebanon after Nasrallah."

Sinwar was a man with American as well as Israeli blood on his hands, Vice President Kamala Harris said in an address today, adding that justice has been served. "Hamas is decimated and its leadership is eliminated," Harris said. "This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza."

While some in Israel may be rejoicing at the news of Sinwar's death, Eyal Eshel knows it will not bring back his daughter, Roni.

Roni was assigned to the watchtower at Nahal Oz near the Gaza border on Oct. 7 when militants launched their surprise attack on Israel. While Eshel commends the troops who killed Sinwar, he hopes the political leadership will "come to its senses" to return the hostages.

"The time is ripe, this is the golden hour," Eshel said. "This is the time to put pressure on Hamas, what’s left of it, in order to bring the hostages back."

Whether people in Gaza supported Sinwar or not, some in the enclave are praying his killing will lead to an end to the war.

One man said while he does not describe himself as a follower of Sinwar's, he was saddened by the death of "an icon of resistance." He now worries that with Sinwar dead there will be no one to negotiate with for an end to the war, making the situation more difficult.

"As they claim, Yahya Sinwar is the last thing the Israeli demands," he said. "We hope for better things from the Almighty, for a better future, and for the war to end well, with a cessation of fire."

Another man said that Sinwar's assassination is no different than that of any of the more than 40,000 people who have been killed in Gaza to date. But the now-displaced tailor hopes that by "cutting off the head," Israel will end its siege.

He prays that "Sinwar's death would be a mercy."

"I mean, there isn’t any justification for the machinery of demolition, destruction, killing, and death to go on," he said. "It’s the end unless there are false justifications, such as they wanted Sinwar, and they continue the war."

Gil Dickmann, the cousin of Carmel Gat, who was confirmed in August to have been killed in Hamas' captivity along with five other hostages, welcomed Sinwar's killing as "good news" today, but he said "the achievement is not complete."

"The happiness cannot be complete until all the hostages are here," he told NBC News.

Dickmann said hostage families were "not looking for revenge. We don't want to seek the death of the people who killed the six hostages. What we are aiming at is the release of the 101 hostages that are still in Hamas’ hands."

"There is an actual opportunity right now to get all of them out of captivity, to get all of them home," he said. "That is the only thing that we care about right now."

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich commended the IDF for killing Sinwar, whom he called "the father of all murderers."

On X, Smotrich went on to say it was time for the IDF to ensure everyone in Gaza knew Sinwar was dead.

He called for an increase in "intense military pressure" on Gaza while also "offering safe passage and a financial reward to those who return our hostages to us and ask to lay down their arms and leave the Strip."

In an address to the nation today on Sinwar's death, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Evil suffered a heavy blow."

"I want to say again, as clearly as possible: Hamas will no longer rule Gaza," he said. "This is the beginning of the day after Hamas, and this is an opportunity for you, the residents of Gaza, to finally break free from its tyranny."

Sinwar ruined the lives of Gazans, Netanyahu said.

The prime minister also addressed the family members of the 101 hostages who remain in Gaza, calling their return the country's "highest obligation." He urged anyone still holding hostages to release them immediately.

"To the dear families of the hostages, I say: This is an important moment in the war," Netanyahu said. "We will continue with all our might until the return of all your loved ones, who are our loved ones, to their homes."

Israel Police said in a post on X that dental records and fingerprint matching have confirmed that Yahya Sinwar had been killed.

Former soldier Roni Lifshitz says while she is happy that Sinwar is dead, she has mixed feelings about the news.

"On the other hand, five of my friends are still not here, they are still in captivity," said Lifshitz, who was stationed near kibbutz Nahal Oz, which was devastated in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack. "He was responsible for the fact that they are held hostage. His death will not bring back the rest of my friends."

Lifshitz lost 15 of her friends on Oct. 7 when Hamas led a terror attack on Israel, reportedly masterminded by Sinwar. She hopes, however, that development will advance the return of the 101 hostages who remain in Gaza.

"In actual fact, in this sense we already lost, in the sense that the hostages have been held there for over a year," Lifshitz said.

The death of Sinwar is time to return "every single hostage" remaining in Gaza back to their families, no more delays or demands, the Hostage Family Forum said in a statement today.

"Whether through negotiation or by any other means, all parties must immediately seize this opportunity to bring home the 101 remaining hostages, including seven Americans, before it is too late," the statement said.

Sinwar being killed is a step toward justice, the group said, but it is not the end goal. True victory will only be achieved when "every hostage is released and the suffering of civilians in Gaza ends."

Israel has brought justice to its citizens by killing Sinwar, the man who orchestrated the Oct. 7 terror attack that killed 1,200 people last year, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in an address today.

“Sinwar died while beaten, persecuted and on the run — he didn’t die as a commander, but as someone who only cared for himself," Gallant said.

The defense minister noted that Sinwar is the latest in a string of assassinations of both Hamas and Hezbollah leadership in recent months. He called it a "clear message" to the residents of Gaza and the rest of Hamas' militants.

"Go out with the hostages, free them, and surrender," Gallant said.

Yahya Sinwar has spent the last year hiding among civilians in Gaza both above ground and below, in Hamas' network of tunnels in the Gaza Strip, the IDF said in a statement confirming his death.

The military’s southern command followed intelligence that led to a suspected location of three senior Hamas leaders, according to the IDF.

"The dozens of operations carried out by the IDF and the ISA over the last year, and in recent weeks in the area where he was eliminated, restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination," the statement said.

News that Sinwar had been killed may be "a very happy moment for every Israeli," though it is unlikely to change things for the hostages, a researcher at Hebrew University of Jerusalem told NBC News shortly before Sinwar's death was confirmed.

"The people of Israel are thinking about them," said Ronni Shaked, a research fellow at the Harry S. Truman Institute at the university. "But Israel is not going to find some new way to bring them back now because it’s not just in the hands of Sinwar."

Shaked, who met Sinwar and the former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh years ago, said Hamas can continue without its recent leadership, noting that Hamas only became more fundamentalist after its original leaders were killed in 2004.

Without a strategic plan on how to get out of Gaza, it will be "a disaster," Shaked said. "The only way to move Hamas aside is to bring an alternative Palestinian regime to Gaza."

House Speaker Mike Johnson was briefed on the news that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar had been killed, a source directly familiar with the matter told NBC News.

Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries has also been briefed, a person familiar with the briefing also confirmed. Representatives for both Senate leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on whether they had been briefed.

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark Warner was also briefed by CIA Director William Burns about the operation, a spokesperson for Warner said.

Separately, bipartisan staff for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee has been briefed by administration officials, according to another source with direct knowledge.

Sinwar's killing would be a "Pyrrhic victory" for Israel, Rashid Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor Emeritus of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University and author of 'The Hundred Years' War on Palestine," told NBC News shortly before the news was confirmed.

“Talk about a Pyrrhic victory," he said, adding that Hamas would remain strong in both ideology and on the battlefield, even if its leader has been killed.

Recalling the recent assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and the killing over three decades ago of Abbas al-Musawi, then the secretary-general of Hezbollah, as well as the "killing of hundreds of PLO and Hamas leaders over the years," Khalidi said: "The killing of Sinwar, if confirmed, will not minimize resistance to Israel’s occupations."

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed during Israeli operations in Gaza, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

“Terrorist mastermind Yahya Sinwar, responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7th, was eliminated today by IDF soldiers," Katz said in a statement to fellow foreign ministers worldwide.

"This is a great military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world against the axis of radical Islam led by Iran," he said.

Sinwar's death "creates an opportunity for the immediate release of the hostages and a potential change that could lead to a new reality in Gaza—without Hamas and without Iranian control," he added.

Members of Betar USA, a Zionist youth movement, are planning to rally outside the Israeli consulate in New York City today to celebrate the possible death of Sinwar.

"The world is a better place today," Ross Glick, director of Betar USA, said in a statement sent to NBC News.

"The entire world should be celebrating today the death of this man who has so much blood on his hands,” he said, though Sinwar's death has yet to be confirmed.

In a news release, Betar USA said demonstrators planned to gather holding signs reading "Thank You IDF: 'Sinwar is Dead: Celebrate'" and "Hamas is ISIS."

Guy Sarfati was skeptical when he first heard news of Sinwar's possible death, but as time went by the 26-year-old university student became excited at the idea of a victory against Hamas.

"We’ve been waking up each day in Israel to terrible news, hearing about another soldier killed or another hostage being killed in Gaza," Sarfati told NBC News. "So, finally, we have some positive news to wake up to."

But the immediate question that followed was: What does this mean for the hostages? Sarfati hopes that Sinwar's death can be used as leverage.

"It raises immediate concerns, obviously," he said. "But I hope this could be a turning point in the war in the south, because we’ve been through this for so long."

The IDF told hostage families today that there were “no signs of harm” to hostages still being held near to where the body believed to be Sinwar's was found in Gaza, according to two sources close to families.

Each family, including American, has an IDF point of contact for updates. They were informed of Sinwar's possible death and of efforts to confirm it.

Yahya Sinwar is the Hamas leader who Israeli officials said was the main architect of the group’s Oct. 7 terror attack on Israel and who the country’s military has been chasing for more than a year. 

It’s been believed that Sinwar, who was in charge of day-to-day operations in Gaza prior to the Oct. 7 attack, was able to escape Israel Defense Forces by using Hamas’ complex tunnel system in the Palestinian enclave. After the Oct. 7 attack, a former IDF spokesperson described him as a “dead man walking” as the military vowed to eliminate him. 

Sinwar joined Hamas after it was founded in 1987, gaining a reputation for brutality after he reportedly helped to form the militant group’s internal security force, according a profile of him by European Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank.

He was captured by Israel two years later and sentenced to life imprisonment for his role in killing Israeli troops and Palestinian collaborators. Sinwar returned to Gaza in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, who was held hostage by Hamas for five years.

Read the full story here.

Troops identified the body believed to be Yahya Sinwar's in an operation that killed multiple Hamas militants, an Israeli official told NBC News.

Speaking before the Hamas leader was confirmed dead, the official said that soldiers weren't specifically looking for Sinwar.

There was a “serious exchange” during a heavy gun battle, the official said. No hostages were found in the vicinity.

The Israeli military said Thursday it is “checking the possibility” that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, accused of being the architect of the Oct. 7 terror attack, was among three militants killed in Gaza during its operations in the enclave.

Sinwar was declared Hamas’ new political head in August following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, where he was attending the inauguration of President Masoud Pezeshkian.

Read the full story here.