Nearly two months prior to the accidental discovery of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar by Israeli military drones—which led to his death—Sinwar was hiding in southern Gaza alongside six Israeli hostages, including one American citizen.

In late August, Israel’s military retrieved the remains of the hostages after they were executed by their captors during a rescue attempt that nearly succeeded. This incident triggered a wave of protests and significant criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

This information, initially reported by Israel’s Channel 12 and later confirmed to YSL News by a source on Friday, arises amidst speculation about potential successors to Sinwar within Hamas. There are also questions about how his death might influence the ongoing conflict in Gaza—whether it will speed up negotiations for a cease-fire and hostage release after over a year of fighting or escalate tensions in the region.

Basem Naim, a high-ranking member of Hamas’ political branch in Qatar, asserted on Friday that Sinwar’s death does not signify the end of their group, stating that Hamas “cannot be wiped out.” Meanwhile, Hezbollah, an ally based in Lebanon, promised to intensify its confrontation with Israel following Sinwar’s demise. Iran, which supports both factions financially and with weapons, claimed that Sinwar’s death would bolster regional resistance against Israel.

Yahya Sinwar, 61, is considered the main architect behind Hamas’ assaults on Israel on October 7, 2023. He was killed by Israel’s military on Thursday during what appeared to be a standard search operation for Hamas leaders in a building in Rafah that had been shelled by Israeli forces. In essence, his discovery was accidental.

Authorities identified Sinwar’s body through DNA, dental, and fingerprint evidence collected long ago from his time in an Israeli prison, where he served time for the deaths of Israeli soldiers and Palestinian traitors.

The Israel Defense Forces released drone footage on Thursday showcasing Sinwar’s last moments before his death. The video reveals a drone entering a building that had its windows blown out, surrounded by debris and dust. The drone approaches a man seated in a chair with his face obscured. After a brief pause, the man throws an object at the drone. Shortly thereafter, the building is shelled by the IDF.

While the IDF later confirmed that Sinwar was the individual in the footage, military spokesman Daniel Hagari mentioned that Sinwar was initially recognized as merely a Hamas fighter, not as the leader, at the time of the shelling. Allegedly, he was found wearing a bulletproof vest and carrying grenades along with approximately $11,000 in cash.

Approximately 1,200 individuals lost their lives, and 251 were taken hostage during last year’s Hamas assaults on Israel. Current estimates from Israel suggest that around 101 hostages remain in Gaza, either deceased or alive. Authorities emphasized that no hostages were found with Sinwar at the site of his death, alongside two of his bodyguards.

However, reports indicate that the shelling that claimed his life took place in the same area of Rafah where the six hostages were killed in August. This raises questions about whether Sinwar had to abandon his underground hideout after the hostages’ deaths.

The source suggests that although unverified, it is probable Sinwar ordered the killing of the hostages as he fled a tunnel in Rafah being searched by the IDF and Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency.

The bodies of the victims, including Israeli-American Hersh Goldberg-Polin, 23, and five others, were located in a narrow, 400-foot-long tunnel in Rafah on August 31. Israeli authorities believe they were likely executed by their Hamas captors just two days prior as the IDF advanced towards their location. It was also reported that Sinwar’s DNA was found in the same tunnel complex where the hostages’ remains were found.

In a press conference on Thursday, Gil Dickmann, a relative of one of the victims, expressed that his family felt “justice has been served” with Sinwar’s elimination.

“People ask if we feel joy. Our happiness cannot be complete until all hostages are returned to Israel. We celebrate not the loss of our enemies, as that’s insufficient.

“We will rejoice when the hostages return safely home.”

According to the health ministry controlled by Hamas, over 42,000 Palestinians have died due to Israeli actions in Gaza over the past year. Since the conflict began, Israel has faced substantial pressure from the U.S. and the global community regarding the high rates of civilian casualties and the insufficient humanitarian assistance entering Gaza.

Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that the elimination of Hamas leader Sinwar does not signify the end of the hostilities in Gaza. However, the Biden administration views this as a chance to revive discussions for a long-anticipated temporary ceasefire and to advocate for an end to the conflict in the region.

Currently, there is little indication that such negotiations are on the horizon.

It is also challenging to accurately predict Hamas’s future direction.

Kobi Michael, the previous leader of the Palestinian division at Israel’s Strategic Affairs Ministry and now a senior research fellow at the Institute for National Strategic Studies in Israel, noted that Hamas has “several options” for selecting Sinwar’s successor.

He suggested that the “most logical choice” might be Sinwar’s sibling, Mohammed, who leads the Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military branch.

Michael emphasized that while Mohammed Sinwar lacks “the charisma or the ideological, historical, and religious depth that his brother possessed,” he brings significant experience, including his involvement in the 2006 capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Additionally, Mohammed has been responsible for developing Hamas’s tunnel system in Gaza.

After a year of conflict, Michael indicated that Hamas’s military capabilities are now “significantly diminished.” He estimated that the number of combatants, which was around 40,000 a year ago, has dwindled to between 10,000 and 15,000. While Hamas has managed to recruit some new members, many are young, poorly equipped, and lack experience.

Numerous recruits are in their teenage years.

“Hamas is now resorting to guerrilla tactics and terror operations against the IDF in Gaza,” Michael stated.

“However, their success is severely limited. They might occasionally fire off a rocket or two, but Hamas is at a military impasse. This doesn’t mean Israel will eliminate every last militant or RPG in Gaza,” he explained, referring to rocket-propelled grenades.

Michael added, “This indicates that Hamas will struggle to maintain effective control over Gaza from a governance perspective, a military standpoint, or in terms of posing a security threat, as they did on October 7.”