Israel confirms Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed with Biden dubbing it 'a good day'
Israel says it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza, ITV News Global Security Editor Rohit Kachroo reports
Israel has confirmed that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed after DNA testing and dental records were checked.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) stated it had "eliminated" Sinwar after investigating the possibility he was one of "three terrorists" who had been killed.
Sinwar was encountered by Israeli troops on a routine military operation.
The 62-year-old has been Hamas' leader insider Gaza since 2017 and is believed to be the architect behind the October 7 attacks.
He was chosen as the militant group's top leader after his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in an Israeli airstrike in the Iranian capital of Tehran back in July.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the killing of Sinwar "the beginning of the day after Hamas."
"Evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete," he said.
There has been no immediate comment from Hamas in response to reports.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said: “We stand by their right to self-defence and to prevent such a terror attack from ever happening again. As you know, Hamas is a proscribed terrorist organisation.
“It remains the case that we continue to call for diplomatic efforts to ensure a ceasefire, that we can get more aid into Gaza and release the hostages. Those continue to be our priorities.”
US President Joe Biden called Netanya to praise the IDF carrying out "excellent work" and the killing of Sinwar as a "good day for Israel, for the United States and for the world".
Vice President Kamala Harris added that the "entire world" is better off after the news that Sinwar had been killed.
She also called for an end to the war in the Middle East, saying: "This moment gives us an opportunity to finally end the war in Gaza, and it must end such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realise their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination."
Analysis from ITV News Correspondent Peter Smith
After news confirming that Yahya Sinwar has been killed, it is undoubtedly the single biggest military victory Israel has achieved in its war on Hamas over the last year.
This is also a significant blow to Hamas, and it comes within a month of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah being killed by an Israeli bombing of Beirut.
However, there are others who still form part of a leadership network in Hamas.
It is not a centralised group with one single head.
In fact, Israel has a history of assassinating leaders of Hamas and every time they have shown Israelis that Hamas as an idea will not die.
Since the establishment of Israel as a state in 1948, there have been Palestinians willing to turn to violent armed resistance, militancy, and terrorism - call it what you will.
The question for Israel if Sinwar has been killed is, "who next?" Who will be the leaders of the future to emerge from the ashes of this war?
Right now, the ground in Gaza is becoming even more fertile for those who might take an even harder, more extreme line than Yahya Sinwar.
Sinwar's death comes after an Israeli airstrike on a school sheltering Palestinians killed at least 28 people, including four children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry.
Israeli forces have continued a more than week-long air and ground assault in the Jabalinya refugee camp in northern Gaza.
Fares Abu Hamza, head of Gaza Health Ministry’s local emergency unit, confirmed the toll from the strike and said dozens of people were wounded. He said the nearby Kamal Adwan Hospital was struggling to treat the casualties.
“Many women and children are in critical condition,” he said.
The Israeli military said it targeted a command centre run by Hamas and Islamic Jihad inside the school. It provided a list of around a dozen names of people it identified as militants who were present when the strike was called in. It was not immediately possible to verify the names.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…