Rhino: Agencies – Israel officially announced the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Al-Sinwar on Thursday, saying it represents “a major military and moral achievement for Israel.”

“A force from the 828th Brigade spotted and killed three Hamas operatives in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip,” the Israeli army and security service (Shin Bet) said in a statement, adding that “after completing the identification of the body, it can be confirmed that Yahya Sinwar was killed. The statement added that the operation took place on Wednesday.

For his part, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said that Al-Sinwar’s killing represents “a great military and moral achievement for Israel, and a victory for the entire free world against the axis of evil, represented by radical Islam led by Iran.”

The Israeli Defense Minister described Sinwar’s killing as sending “a clear message to all the families of the dead and kidnapped Israelis, that we are doing everything to harm those who harmed your loved ones and to free the kidnapped and return them to their families.” Sinwar was elected head of Hamas’ political bureau in August, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, in an operation attributed to Israel.