As Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar Goes Missing, Israel Probes If He Is Dead

Hamas's Gaza-based leader Yahya Sinwar has been incommunicado for a long time, making Israel look for evidence of his possible death. Reports by Israel's public broadcaster Kan, news outlets such as Haaretz, Maariv and Walla, and the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate suggested that Sinwar may have been killed in recent Israeli strikes in Gaza. However, there is no concrete evidence to support this claim. Meanwhile, the Shin Bet agency reportedly believes that he is still alive.

According to The Times Of Israel, some reports quoted sources stating that the elusive Hamas chief, who has been hiding in tunnels in Gaza since Hamas's October 7 attack, has a history of going off the radar before reemerging to deliver messages related to the ceasefire negotiations or other issues. Security officials, cited by multiple outlets, noted that any assertion of Sinwar's death was currently speculative and lacked a solid basis.

Haaretz, quoting sources, reported that Israel bombed tunnels in areas where Sinwar was thought to be hiding, but there was no definitive evidence that he was harmed or killed. He may be deliberately maintaining a low profile. The military's response to inquiries was succinct: “We have no information confirming or refuting the matter.”

Since the October 7 attack on Southern Israel -- believed to have been orchestrated by Sinwar -- Israel has targeted key figures within Hamas, including the group's military wing chief, Muhammad Deif, and Khan Younis Brigade chief, Rafa'a Salameh. Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and deputy chief Saleh al-Arouri were also killed in drone strikes in Iran and Beirut, respectively, earlier this year. Reports said that Yahya Sinwar and his brother Muhammad remained high-value targets for Israeli forces, yet attempts to locate them have proven unsuccessful.

Reports have also explored the intricate and secretive methods of communication that Sinwar allegedly employs from his hideouts, involving intermediaries and handwritten notes.