Yahya Sinwar's death to become 'a curse' for Israel, Hamas says

Hamas chief negotiator Khalil Al-Hayya confirmed on Friday that the militant group's leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been killed in combat, a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his death.

In a speech on Thursday night announcing the killing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "our war is not yet ended".

"We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim," Al-Hayya said in a televised broadcast.

"Yahya Sinwar and all the leaders and symbols of the movement who preceded him on the path of dignity and martyrdom and the project of liberation and return will only build our movement and resistance in strength."

He reiterated that hostages held by Hamas would not be returned until "the aggression" from Israel stopped.

In a statement, Hamas's armed wing vowed to keep fighting until it saw the "liberation of Palestine".

"Our fight will not stop until Palestine is liberated, the last Zionist is expelled, and all our legitimate rights are regained," the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades said.

Previously, Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim declined to confirm Sinwar's death but said Israel was mistaken if it "believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people".

"Hamas each time became stronger and more popular, and these leaders became an icon for future generations to continue the journey towards a free Palestine," he said.

He added that it was "painful and distressing to lose beloved people, especially extraordinary leaders" but that Hamas was sure it would be "eventually victorious".

Photos apparently taken by Israeli troops on the scene showed the body of a man who appeared to be Sinwar half-buried in rubble with a gaping wound in his head.

Sinwar's killing, in what appeared to be a chance frontline encounter with Israeli troops, offers a potential window to shift the dynamic in the Gaza war — even as Israel presses its offensive against its northern border with Lebanon.

Israel has pledged to destroy Hamas politically in Gaza, and killing Sinwar — the chief architect of Hamas's October 7, 2023 terror attack on Israel — was a top priority.

Some 1,200 Israelis died in the attack, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's offensive in Gaza has since killed over 42,500 Palestinians, according to local health authorities.

Hezbollah vows new phase in fighting

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "our war is not yet ended". (AP: Ariel Schalit)

A day after the reported death of Sinwar, Hezbollah vowed to launch a new phase of fighting against invading Israeli troops.

Hezbollah offered its "deepest condolences" for Sinwar's death in a statement, vowing to continue "support for our Palestinian people".

It also said its fighters had used new types of precision-guided missiles and explosive drones against Israel for the first time in recent days.

The group released a later statement that it had launched drones on the northern Israeli town of Safed in response to Israel's attacks in southern Lebanon.

The group also announced earlier this week that it fired a new type of missile called Qader 2 toward the suburbs of Tel Aviv.

Hezbollah said its fighters were working according to "plans prepared in advance" to battle invading Israeli troops in several parts of south Lebanon.

It also announced several missile and artillery attacks on Israeli forces operating in villages in southern Lebanon's border area overnight and Friday morning.

In one case, the group said it fired a heavy missile barrage at Israeli soldiers who were trying to evacuate those wounded in an earlier strike.

The group also said it had fired "large missile salvos" at a military barracks in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights and at the Zvulun area north of Haifa.

Earlier this week, Hezbollah's acting leader Naim Kassem warned that the group would continue to target wider areas of Israel unless a ceasefire was implemented in Lebanon.

Israeli chief of general staff Herzi Halevi said on Friday the IDF estimated Hezbollah had lost "around 1,500" operatives in recent fighting.

'The spirit of resistance will be strengthened', Iran tells UN

Both Hamas and Hezbollah are backed by Iran, which has hailed Sinwar as a martyr who can inspire others in challenging Israel.

Iran's mission to the United Nations issued a statement honouring Sinwar, emphasising that he died on the battlefield and not in hiding — unlike the Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, who was hanged in 2006.

"When US forces dragged a dishevelled Saddam Hussein out of an underground hole, he begged them not to kill him despite being armed," the statement said.

"Those who regarded Saddam as their model of resistance eventually collapsed."

"However, when Muslims look up to martyr Sinwar standing on the battlefield — in combat attire and out in the open, not in a hideout, facing the enemy — the spirit of resistance will be strengthened."

Demonstrators rallied for the late Hamas leader during a protest in support of Lebanon and Gaza in Amman, Jordan. (Reuters: Jehad Shelbak)

More than 1 million people on both sides were killed during the brutal Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s that began when Hussein launched an invasion of Iran.

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi echoed the statement on X, writing that Sinwar "did not fear death but sought martyrdom in Gaza" and his killing "is not a deterrent but a source of inspiration for resistance fighters across the region".

A spokesperson for the Houthis wrote on X offering their "sincere condolences and great blessings" for Sinwar "receiving the medal of martyrdom".

"Gaza and the Palestinian cause are destined for victory, no matter how great the sacrifices," they said.

Sinwar's death creates 'inflection point' to end the war, White House says

US President Joe Biden believes Sinwar's death offers a unique opportunity for a ceasefire. (Reuters: Nadja Wohlleben)

Despite Israel, Hamas and its allies all vowing to continue fighting following Sinwar's death, White House spokesperson John Kirby said it created an "inflection point" that could accelerate talks to wind down the war.

"We believe, continue to believe, that finding an end to the war is critical, and we also believe that Mr. Sinwar's death … can provide an inflection point to getting there," Kirby said.

Kirby said ceasefire talks were not underway and he had no timetable for them to begin again.

"I wish I could tell you today that we're getting the teams back together in Doha, and we're starting afresh," Kirby said.

"That's not where we are right now."

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also expressed optimism about ceasefire prospects during a press conference.

"This could be a turning point in order to reach a ceasefire, free the hostages and get more aid into Gaza," she said.

IDF kills two crossing from Jordan

The IDF said it had called up another army unit and an additional reserve brigade to deepen its raids in northern Gaza.

Residents of the Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza said Israeli tanks had reached the heart of the camp, using heavy air and ground fire after pushing through suburbs and residential districts.

Residents said Israeli forces had effectively isolated the far northern Gaza from Gaza City. (AFP: Omar Al-Qattaa)

They added that the IDF was destroying dozens of houses on a daily basis, sometimes from the air and the ground and sometimes by placing bombs in buildings then detonating them remotely.

Residents said Israeli forces had effectively isolated the far northern Gazan towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Beit Lahiya from Gaza City, blocking movement except for those families heeding evacuation orders and leaving the three towns.

The IDF also said on Friday that its forces had killed two militants who crossed into Israeli territory south of the Dead Sea from neighbouring Jordan.

Such infiltrations are relatively rare, especially as Israel has ramped up border security since the Hamas attack in October 2023.

The Muslim Brotherhood in Jordan said those killed by the IDF after crossing the border were members of the group.

The two were "members of the group and always participated in events in solidarity with Gaza and in support of the resistance", Muslim Brotherhood spokesperson Moath al-Khawaldeh said.

ABC/wires