Updated | Hamas leader killed in Gaza, Israeli foreign minister says

Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader who masterminded the 7 October attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, has been killed by Israeli ground forces, according to Israel's Foreign Minister Israel Katz.

According to Katz, the Hamas leader was killed by Israeli soldiers on Thursday 17 October. He described Sinwar as the "mastermind behind the massacre and atrocities" of 7 October 2024.

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

"The elimination of Sinwar opens the possibility for the immediate release of the hostages and paves the way for a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza - without Hamas and without Iranian control."

The Israel Defense Forces said it was checking if Sinwar was one of three militants killed during an operation but that their identities could not yet be confirmed. However, the authorities describe the chances as 'very high'.

The bodies have reportedly been taken to Israel for DNA testing, with authorities stating they have both fingerprints and dental records from Sinwar’s time in Israeli prisons for 22 years.

“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution,” the IDF said in a statement.

Hamas has not yet commented on these reports, and neither Hamas nor Israel have officially confirmed the identity of those killed.

Israel previously eliminated Hamas’ political leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in July, which prompted Yahya Sinwar to become the next leader.

“We will reach every terrorist — and eliminate him,” said Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as authorities took the corpse for DNA testing.

Earlier, at least 22 people were reportedly killed and dozens wounded in an Israeli air strike on a UN-run school sheltering displaced families in northern Gaza, according to local medics and the Hamas-run Civil Defence agency.