Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel says

All Catch Up analysis Reactions 61 Posts Sort By Latest less than 1 min ago Hezbollah announces "new and escalating phase" in war with Israel From CNN’s Zeena Saifi Hezbollah announced a “new and escalating phase” in its war with Israel on Thursday. The Iran-backed militant group said it has killed 55 Israeli soldiers and injured 500 since the start of Israel’s ground operations in Lebanon. CNN has reached out to the IDF for comment on Hezbollah’s claim. Hezbollah’s statement on the Telegram app did not mention Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who the Israeli military said was killed on Wednesday in the Gaza Strip. 4 min ago The world is "now a better place" without Sinwar, Israel’s military chief says From CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Catherine Nicholls, Oren Liebermann and Haley Britzky The world is “now a better place” without Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the Commander-in-Chief of the Israel Defense Forces, Herzi Halevi said on Thursday. Halevi said he met with the troops who killed Sinwar, and said that they acted “correctly, with professionalism and determination — not because they knew Sinwar was there, but because our soldiers excel in every encounter with terrorists, in all sectors.” Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Sinwar’s death a “major achievement in counterterrorism.” He added that he hoped the death brings “some small measure of justice and solace to the families and the loved ones of the many victims of Sinwar’s premeditated cruelty.” Echoing what President Joe Biden and others have said, Austin reiterated that now is the time to reach a ceasefire agreement that secures the release of the remaining hostages, including American citizens. 2 min ago Drone video shows Sinwar's final moments, Israeli military says From CNN’s Hira Humayun The IDF released drone video reportedly showing the Yahya Sinwar during his final moments. The IDF released drone video reportedly showing the Yahya Sinwar during his final moments. IDF The Israeli military has released video that it says shows Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s final moments. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Daniel Hagari played the video in a news briefing on Thursday. The edited clip shows a drone going into a damaged building where a person — who the IDF says is Sinwar — can be seen sitting on a chair. The figure’s body is positioned away from the drone, but they appear to be looking toward the unmanned craft. The person’s face is obscured and they appear to be sitting alone. Hagari said Sinwar had been shot in his hand, as the edited IDF video points to his hand. The drone video shows the figure holding what the IDF highlights as a piece of wood, which the person lobs in the direction of the drone. Israel says a drone later discovered Sinwar’s body in the rubble of the building, which was struck by an Israeli tank on Wednesday. Only after sending in soldiers on foot did the Israeli military identify the man as Hamas’ leader. Watch the edited IDF video below: 00:15 - Source: CNN 9 min ago 5 Israeli soldiers killed in southern Lebanon, military says From Eugenia Yosef and CNN's Sophie Tanno The Israel Defense Forces said five of its soldiers were killed during military operations in southern Lebanon on Thursday. The soldiers were Maj. Ofek Bachar, Capt. Elad Siman Tov, Staff Sgt. Elyashiv Eitan Wieder, Staff Sgt. Yakov Hillel, and Staff Sgt. Yehudah Dror Yahalom, the IDF said in a statement. An officer and two additional soldiers were severely injured during the incident, according to the statement. These soldiers have been evacuated to a hospital and their families have been notified. Israeli forces have been carrying out ground operations in southern Lebanon after launching an incursion across Israel’s northern border on October 1 in its campaign against Hezbollah. 27 min ago CNN identifies building where Israeli military killed Hamas leader From CNN’s Yong Xiong, Paul P. Murphy, Avery Schmitz and Gianluca Mezzofiore Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in one of the only houses still standing in a residential area of Rafah, a CNN analysis of videos and photos released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has found. CNN was able to make the geolocation by comparing recent satellite imagery to videos and photos from the vicinity that were shared on social media by the IDF. The home was roughly 1,000 feet (300 meters) from what appears to be an IDF forward operating base or vehicle depot. Multiple satellite images from Planet Labs taken this month show a number of military vehicles, and even a bulldozer, parked among newly constructed earthen berms in the same spots over multiple days and weeks. On Thursday, IDF spokesperson Daniel Hagari confirmed Sinwar was killed in the Tal al-Sultan area of Rafah. It’s unclear whether Sinwar was sheltering in the area for some time or had only recently sheltered there. But the area was largely untouched by the war until August 28, when a group of homes was destroyed just north of where Sinwar was killed, according to CNN’s review of the Planet Labs satellite imagery. By September 2, the home where Sinwar was found was surrounded by destruction. Bulldozing immediately followed. Several of the roadways around the home on September 10 are seen destroyed, and homes are seen completely leveled, in the satellite imagery. 28 min ago Helping recover Gaza hostages is closely linked with tracking Hamas leaders, US officials say From CNN's Haley Britzky and Natasha Bertrand While US special operations forces in Israel have been primarily focused on hostage recovery efforts, officials told CNN on Thursday that those efforts often overlapped with helping find Hamas leadership, due to their practice of keeping hostages around the group’s leaders. “The purpose is to find the hostages, but to do that you basically have to find the (high-value individuals),” one US defense official said. “It’s hard to say they’re separate because the activity is almost one in the same.” US officials have said since last year that special operations forces were in Israel to assist with hostage recovery, but President Joe Biden on Thursday said he directed them to go to Israel after Hamas’ October 7 attacks “to help locate and track” Yahya Sinwar and other Hamas leaders. Sinwar was killed in Gaza during an Israeli operation on Wednesday, Israel says. US officials believed for months that Sinwar was underground and possibly surrounded by hostages he was using as shields. An Israeli military spokesperson said Thursday that Sinwar was killed in an area close to where the bodies of six hostages were recovered last month. Still, officials don’t believe US intelligence was actively a part of the operation that killed Sinwar. National security adviser Jake Sullivan said Thursday that it was “an IDF operation,” and the special operations personnel and intelligence professionals “deserve our thanks for the work that they did alongside the IDF over the course of many months to help create the kind of counterterrorism pressure that put a lot of these guys on the run.” The Israeli military believes Sinwar was trying to escape the Rafah area in southern Gaza and head north at the time he was killed. 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Now, with the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in Gaza seen as a watershed moment for the conflict’s escalation, US officials are optimistic that Biden and Netanyahu are more closely aligned on a diplomatic resolution as being within reach, citing the parallel language in Israel’s readout of today’s call. “Both leaders agreed that there is an opportunity to advance the release of the hostages and that they would work together to achieve this objective,” the prime minister’s office released in its official readout of the call, which Biden placed from a secure line aboard Air Force One. Biden and Netanyahu – and their national security teams – are expecting to stay in close contact over the coming days as next steps are decided. But despite optimism that Sinwar’s death could bring a deal in Gaza closer to fruition, two sources familiar with the matter acknowledge that Israel’s approach to Iran and its proxies elsewhere are seen as “distinct” operations. Israel’s pending retaliation against Iran could come within days, one source said, with CNN previously reporting it was expected before the US election. 58 min ago Analysis: What does Sinwar's death mean From CNN's Nic Robertson What does the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar mean? The release of Israeli hostages in Gaza? Too soon to say. To think through what happens next, perhaps the most crucial piece of information is the fate of his brother Mohammed. Last month a very senior Israeli official told CNN that Mohammad Sinwar had taken over as Hamas’s military commander after the killing of its pre-war chief Mohammed Deif in an Israeli air strike on July 13. Yahya and Mohammed were always very close and rose through Hamas’s ranks together; the same senior official told CNN that as recently as late August they were often still together. Could they have died together on Wednesday? If Mohammed survived this week, he will likely continue his brother’s hardline negotiating tactics as Israel seeks to extract its remaining hostages from the Palestinian enclave. Until a clear picture emerges, it will be hard to know the terror group’s next move in the deadlocked negotiations for a hostage release and ceasefire deal. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mulls the success of Wednesday’s strike, he may calculate he is edging closer to being able to declare that Hamas no longer constitutes a threat of invading Israel again. In reality, those capabilities faded many months ago, but now the killing of Sinwar — seen as one of the architects of the October 7 attacks — could give Netanyahu space for compromise in negotiations. 1 hr 14 min ago Sinwar was trying to escape to the north when he was killed, Israeli military spokesperson says From Eugenia Yosef and Hira Humayun Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was trying to escape to the north when he was killed by the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza on Wednesday, Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari said at a news briefing Thursday. “I believe he was running, moved from an underground compound to houses trying to escape north to a more secure compound,” Hagari said, adding that IDF troops continued operating at the compound in Tal al Sultan in Rafah, where he was eventually killed, without knowing at the time that he was there. “We continued to operate to check terrorists are not running from this region,” Hagari said. Israeli forces found Sinwar with a vest, a gun and 40,000 shekels, the IDF spokesperson said. He went on to say Sinwar’s DNA was found in tunnels a few hundred meters from where the six hostages were killed earlier this year. 1 hr 6 min ago Some families of Israeli hostages say they feel like "justice has been served" with death of Sinwar From CNN’s Sophie Tanno and Eugenia Yosef Gil Dickmann, 31, the cousin of Carmel Gat, who was killed by Hamas weeks ago alongside five other hostages, appears on CNN on Thursday, October 17. Gil Dickmann, 31, the cousin of Carmel Gat, who was killed by Hamas weeks ago alongside five other hostages, appears on CNN on Thursday, October 17. CNN Some of the families of those taken hostage on October 7 in Israel said they feel like “justice has been served” after the Israeli military said it killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Gil Dickmann, 31, the cousin of Carmel Gat, who was killed by Hamas weeks ago alongside five other hostages, that Sinwar’s “activity in Gaza has had so many victims, among them thousands of Palestinians, and of course, my cousin, who we just learned today was with him in captivity,” according to the Hostages and Missing Families Forum. “What we celebrate is not the elimination of our enemies. That’s not enough for us. We celebrate life, and we will celebrate when the hostages come back home,” Dickmann said. Meanwhile Daniel Lifshitz, the 36-year-old grandson of Oded Lifshitz, who turned 84 while in captivity in Gaza, said that Sinwar had been a “major obstacle” to reaching a deal to release remaining hostages, but now “this obstacle has been removed.” “We urge all involved parties to work toward an immediate agreement to bring everyone back home,” Lifshitz added. 1 hr 27 min ago Israeli strikes killed at least 45 people in Lebanon on Wednesday, ministry says From CNN’s Eyad Kourdi Smoke billows near Nabatiyeh, as seen from Marjayoun, near the Lebanese border with Israel, on Wednesday, October 16. Smoke billows near Nabatiyeh, as seen from Marjayoun, near the Lebanese border with Israel, on Wednesday, October 16. Karamallah Daher/Reuters At least 45 people were killed and 179 injured in Israeli airstrikes across Lebanon on Wednesday, according to a statement by the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The strikes targeted cities and villages in southern and eastern Lebanon, including Nabatiyeh, Beqaa, Baalbek, and the southern region, the ministry said in the statement sent to CNN on Thursday. It brings the overall death toll to 1,750, with 9,067 others injured since Israel escalated military operations in Lebanon on September 16. The number is a CNN count based on previous reports from the ministry. 1 hr 40 min ago Sinwar was killed in Rafah, Israeli military spokesperson says From CNN’s Catherine Nicholls IDF International Spokesperson Major Doron Spielman speaks with CNN on Thursday, October 17. IDF International Spokesperson Major Doron Spielman speaks with CNN on Thursday, October 17. CNN Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Rafah in southern Gaza, close to where the bodies of six hostages were recovered in September, a spokesperson for the Israeli military said. Israel Defense Forces spokesperson Doron Spielman told CNN Israeli ground and tank troops were there as they believed that “very senior terrorist commanders” including Sinwar were in the area. The troops came under fire, so they returned fire with a tank, he said. Later, when they went to inspect the building, they realized that Sinwar was amongst the rubble. The Hamas leader was found alongside three people, Spielman said, “one of which is a person that has been by his side the entire time, which is the battalion commander of the Khan Younis brigade. He was also killed in that rubble.” He did not provide the name of the commander. “The whole goal of our operating in this area has been to force Sinwar and other commanders out of their bunkers using very precise intel in certain areas,” he said. “We were trying to force him — in this case it worked — above ground, moving so that they would make a mistake,” Spielman added. Some background: Last month, the IDF said the bodies of six hostages were found in a Hamas-run tunnel in Rafah, and that they were “brutally” murdered “a short while” before troops were able to reach them. Paid Content Recommended by Amazon's Worst Nightmare: Millions Canceling Prime for This Clever HackSponsored Amazon's Worst Nightmare: Millions Canceling Prime for This Clever Hack Online Shopping Tools Sponsored Young Woman Makes Hand Signals on Airplane – Watch How Flight Attendant Responds Young Woman Keeps Making Hand Signals in Airplane – When Stewardess Realizes Why, She Alerts the Authorities Happy in Shape 1 hr 36 min ago Hospital receiving Palestinians injured in an Israeli strike is struggling to treat them, doctor says From CNN’s Abeer Salman and Sana Noor Haq The chaotic scene as casualties arrive at Kamal Adwan Hospital following Israeli strike Thursday, October 17 on aschool in northern Gaza. The chaotic scene as casualties arrive at Kamal Adwan Hospital following Israeli strike Thursday, October 17 on aschool in northern Gaza. Obtained by CNN The director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital – one of the last remaining operational hospitals in northern Gaza – said it received “a very large number of casualties” on Thursday after an Israeli airstrike on a school-turned-shelter in the Jabalya refugee camp, and health care workers are struggling to treat them. “The problem is that the numbers are large, the crews are few, and the medical supplies are extremely limited,” Dr. Hussam Abu Saifiya told CNN. “Most of the cases that we deal with are critical cases, and are now in operating rooms,” he added. The Israeli strike on Abu Hussein School killed at least 28 Palestinians and wounded 150 other people, Abu Saifiya said, adding that the death toll expected to rise in the coming hours. The Israel Defense Forces claimed an Israeli warplane had carried out a strike on a “command and control center used by Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists.” Footage: Dozens of men and boys wounded in the airstrike are seen being carried out of ambulances in the courtyard of Kamal Adwan Hospital, in video shared by Abu Saifiya. Paramedics, nurses and doctors line the entrance to the facility, where rescue crews delicately treat patients. The footage also shows several children surrounding a young boy, who lays motionless on an orange gurney. The children are crying and clutching onto the stretcher, as other residents scream in the background. Wounded men lay on the blood-streaked hospital floor. 2 hr 4 min ago Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed, according to the Israeli military. Here’s what we know From CNN staff Yahya Sinwar during a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, April 13, 2022. Yahya Sinwar during a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, April 13, 2022. Adel Hana/AP/File Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, one of the masterminds of the October 7 massacre in Israel, was killed during an operation in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, the Israeli military announced on Thursday. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed Sinwar was “eliminated” after Israeli officials ran DNA tests and used dental records to confirm his identity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the killing of Sinwar by saying, “This is the beginning of the day after Hamas.” “Evil has suffered a heavy blow, but the task before us is not yet complete,” Netanyahu said in a recorded video message. Netanyahu called Sinwar’s killing an “important moment in the war,” telling residents of Gaza that it is an “opportunity” for them to “finally break free from (Hamas’) tyranny.” Here’s more on what we know about Sinwar’s death: • Body discovered by drone, identified by Israeli soldiers: The bodies Sinwar and others killed with him were spotted by a drone in rubble in Gaza on Thursday, following a Wednesday tank strike on a building, a person familiar told CNN. It was only when Israeli soldiers went in on foot and got a closer look that they started to suspect that it was Sinwar, the source said. Sinwar was killed in the area of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the person said. • Netanyahu issues warning to Hamas and asks for hostages to be released: The Israeli prime minister warned Hamas its leaders will be eliminated and called on those holding Israeli hostages captive to lay down their weapons and return the hostages, saying whoever does so will be allowed to “go out and live.” • US sees potential in Sinwar’s death for restarting ceasefire talks: US President Joe Biden praised the killing of Sinwar, adding it’s his hope that now is the opportunity for looking toward the next steps for Gaza. Despite all the unknowns, the moment was viewed inside the White House and across Biden’s administration as a momentous one. The US will “redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict” after the death of Sinwar, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. • Hostage families plead for loved ones: The families of American hostages still being held in Gaza called for their release following Sinwar’s death. “It is now time for every single hostage held in Gaza to be returned to their families,” they said in a joint statement released Thursday. Also, the parents of Israeli American hostage Omer Neutra said the news of Sinwar’s death is “a critical, time-sensitive development as it relates to the hostages. Their lives are in great danger now more than ever.” • What Gazans are saying: Palestinians in Gaza told CNN they do not believe Sinwar’s killing will put an end to the war. But others remain hopeful. “Sinwar has died, but so many of our people have been killed, and there is no excuse now for Netanyahu to continue the war,” 22-year-old Mumen Khalili said. 1 hr 47 min ago Israelis notified US early today that they believed they killed Sinwar From CNN's Kylie Atwood and Michael Conte Israeli officials notified the US early Thursday morning that they “believed” they had killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, but needed to conduct testing to confirm it, according to a State Department spokesperson. After that, the US and Israel had “a number of conversations, as you might imagine, at several different levels to try and confirm that information,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said at a news briefing. Miller said US officials across the government, including at the State Department and the US embassy in Israel, were notified by Israel about Sinwar. He added that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Qatar’s Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who serves as the country’s prime minister and foreign minister, as well as Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud. Blinken made those calls while aboard Air Force One with President Joe Biden on their way to Berlin. 26 min ago US will redouble efforts to end this conflict after Sinwar's death, top diplomat says From CNN's Kylie Atwood The US will “redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict” after the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said. Blinken said “the world is a better place” with Sinwar gone, calling him a “vicious and unrepentant terrorist.” “On multiple occasions over the past months, Sinwar rebuffed efforts by the United States and its partners to bring this war to a close through an agreement that would return the hostages to their families and alleviate the suffering of the Palestinian people. In the days ahead, the United States will redouble its efforts with partners to end this conflict, secure the release [of] all hostages, and chart a new path forward that will enable the people of Gaza to rebuild their lives and realize their aspirations free from war and free from the brutal grip of Hamas,” Blinken said in a statement Thursday. “At his direction, Hamas terrorists murdered Israelis, Americans, and citizens of more than 30 countries. They kidnapped and held hostage infants, elderly, and other civilians. His decision to launch the October 7th terror attacks unleashed catastrophic consequences for the people of Gaza, who have now endured the horrors of more than a year of war,” Blinken added. Here’s what other US officials are saying: State Department: Spokesperson Matthew Miller also reiterated that the US intends to redouble its efforts to get hostages released and “bring an end to this war.” The US “sees a new opportunity for negotiations,” he said, but he did not detail how the US would be redoubling efforts from what it had already been doing. He added that the US hopes Sinwar’s successor — whoever it may be — takes “a different path forward.” Pentagon: With Sinwar’s death, “there is now an opportunity for a day after in Gaza without Hamas in power,” spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said Thursday, adding that there is an opportunity for the release of hostages and a possible ceasefire. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin described Sinwar’s death as a “major achievement in counterterrorism.” 1 hr 30 min ago Biden congratulates Netanyahu in phone call on death of Sinwar, prime minister's office says From CNN’s Eugenia Yosef, Sophie Tanno and Kevin Liptak President Joe Biden departs for Berlin, Germany from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday, October 17. President Joe Biden departs for Berlin, Germany from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on Thursday, October 17. Nathan Howard/Reuters US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Thursday after news that Israel killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, an official told CNN. Biden called Netanyahu from Air Force One. During the call, Biden praised the Israel Defense Forces for carrying out “excellent work,” according to a statement from the Israeli prime minister’s office. The two leaders also agreed that there is an opportunity to “advance the release” of the remaining hostages, according to the statement, and that they will work together to achieve this goal. “I told him that we were pleased with his actions and further that, now is the time to move on,” Biden told reporters in Berlin. The US president also said he was planning to dispatch US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region soon. “I told him that we were pleased with his actions and further that, now is the time to move on,” Biden told reporters in Berlin. The US president also said he was planning to dispatch US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the region soon. There are currently 109 Israeli hostages that remain in Gaza, including 36 believed to be dead, according to data from the Israeli Government Press Office. The two leaders also discussed what the “day after” looks like in Gaza and how “we secure Gaza and move on,” Biden said. Earlier today, Biden praised the killing of the militant leader, saying that it was a “good day of Israel, for the United States and for the world.” This post has been updated with additional comments from Biden. 2 hr 35 min ago Harris says "entire world" is better off after Israel killed Hamas leader From CNN’s Nikki Carvajal Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about the killing of Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza, on Thursday, October 17, following a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Vice President Kamala Harris speaks about the killing of Hamas' top leader Yahya Sinwar in a battle with Israeli forces in Gaza, on Thursday, October 17, following a campaign rally at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Jacquelyn Martin/AP Vice President Kamala Harris said the “entire world” is better off as a result of the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and called for an end to the war in the Middle East. Additionally, the vice president, who has tried to strike a balance between condemning the actions of Hamas while not condoning the suffering of the Palestinian people, again focused on both in her remarks. “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 realize their right to dignity, security, freedom and self-determination. And it is time for the day after the war to begin without Hamas in power,” she said Thursday. Paid Content Recommended by Are bonds right for you?Sponsored Are bonds right for you? Try out the BlackRock Target Income Portfolio offered by Betterment and start earning up to 5.69% yield* Betterment Home battery backup for CA homesSponsored Home battery backup for CA homes Join over 900,000 Sunrun customers and make the switch to solar power and battery storage from the #1 residential solar company in America. Sunrun Solar 2 hr 39 min ago Families of Israeli hostages warn their loved ones are "in great danger now more than ever" From CNN’s Eugenia Yosef and Catherine Nicholls Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of American hostage Omer Neutra, appear during a press conference in New York on April 5. Ronen and Orna Neutra, parents of American hostage Omer Neutra, appear during a press conference in New York on April 5. Adam Gray/Reuters/File Family members of Israeli hostages who are still held by Hamas are warning their loved ones are still in danger after the Israeli military said it killed the militant group’s leader, Yahya Sinwar. The Hostages Families Forum, a group representing the families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, said in a statement that it “urges leveraging this major achievement to secure (the) hostages’ return.” The group commended the Israeli military for “eliminating” Sinwar, who it said “masterminded the greatest massacre our country has ever faced, responsible for the murder of thousands and the abduction of hundreds.” But, it also expressed “deep concern” for the fate of the more than 100 hostages who still remain in Gaza. Parents of Israeli American hostage Omer Neutra said the news of Sinwar’s death is “a critical, time-sensitive development as it relates to the hostages. Their lives are in great danger now more than ever.” Einav Zangauker, mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, sits in her living room during an interview with Reuters, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 16. Einav Zangauker, mother of Israeli hostage Matan Zangauker, sits in her living room during an interview with Reuters, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on September 16. Jim Urquhart/Reuters/File Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is one of the hostages still in the strip, echoed this concern. She said that Israel had “settled the account” with Sinwar, but that “now, more than ever, the lives of Matan, my son and the other hostages are in tangible danger.” “If Netanyahu does not take advantage of the momentum and does not stand up now and present a new Israeli initiative, even at the cost of ending the war, it means that he has decided to abandon my Matan and the other hostages, with the aim of prolonging the war and fortifying his rule,” she said. “We will not give up until everyone returns!” 2 hr 39 min ago Israeli drone spotted Sinwar’s body in rubble on Thursday after a tank strike yesterday From CNN's Alex Marquardt The bodies of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and others killed with him were spotted by a drone in rubble in Gaza on Thursday, following a Wednesday tank strike on a building, a person familiar with Sinwar’s killing told CNN. It was only when Israeli soldiers went in on foot and got a closer look that they started to suspect that it was Sinwar, the source said. The Israeli military was conducting a “routine operation” on Wednesday when there was movement spotted and the Israeli tank shot at the building, the source added. Sinwar was killed in the area of the southern Gaza city of Rafah, the person said, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to confirm in a video address on Thursday. “Why did we insist, in the face of all the pressures, to enter Rafah, the fortified stronghold of Hamas where Sinwar and many of the murderers hid,” Netanyahu said. Earlier Thursday, while officials were still running tests to confirm that the man found in the rubble was Sinwar, Israel’s military radio station shared similar details on how the body was discovered. 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