Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy chief of Hamas in Gaza and the group's lead negotiator, confirmed Friday the death of leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in combat.
In a televised statement, Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya praised Sinwar as a "hero who fought the Israeli forces until his last breath."
"Yahya Sinwar fell as a martyr, leading the fight against the Israeli occupation forces until his final moment," Hayya said, emphasizing Sinwar's active role on the front lines.
He also stressed that Israeli hostages "will not be released until the complete cessation of Israeli aggression in Gaza, the release of Palestinian prisoners, and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip."
Hamas, through Hayya, reiterated its "commitment to continuing its struggle until the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital."
Sinwar's death, following the targeted killings of other top Hamas leaders and commanders by Israel, marks a significant setback for the group, which has endured relentless airstrikes since its Oct. 7, 2023, incursion on southern Israel that left 1,200 dead, according to Israeli figures.
The group also brought about 250 hostages to Gaza, creating a crisis for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which has vowed to eliminate Hamas.
On Aug. 6, Sinwar was appointed the group's paramount leader, succeeding former political chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31.
Widely seen as the architect of the Oct. 7 attack, Sinwar had remained in Gaza, defying Israeli attempts to kill him throughout the war.
Born in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, Gaza, Sinwar, 62, was elected as Hamas' leader in Gaza in 2017.
The leader, who spent half of his adult life in Israeli prisons, was the most powerful Hamas figure remaining after Haniyeh's assassination.
