Israel confirms death of Hamas leader

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday confirmed that it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in what it characterized as a precise airstrike on Wednesday. Sinwar’s death comes more than a year after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people and captured roughly 250 others during an attack on southern Israel.

Is this information reliable? Hamas militants did not immediately confirm Sinwar’s death. The strike on Wednesday killed three militants, the Israeli military said. Israeli soldiers tested the DNA of one of the deceased individuals to confirm that it was Sinwar. The DNA test positively identified Sinwar as one of the deceased terrorists.

Did the international community have a response? U.S. President Joe Biden called it a good day for Israel, the United States, and the rest of the world. Biden credited Sinwar with orchestrating the Oct. 7 attack on Israel. U.S. intelligence and special operations personnel worked alongside Israeli forces to track down Sinwar and bring him to justice, Biden said.

Dig deeper: Read Craig A. Carter’s column in WORLD Opinions about how Israel’s self-defense policies have evolved to include taking the fight to its nearby enemies.