Hamas confirms Yahya Sinwar martyred in Gaza combat

Hamas on Friday confirmed its leader Yahya Sinwar was martyred in combat with Israeli forces in Gaza.

Khalil al-Hayya, chief of Hamas' Gaza branch, said this during a televised address.

“Sinwar martyred in combat with Israeli forces in Gaza,” he added.

“Israeli captives held in Gaza will not return until war on Gaza stops and Israeli forces withdraw from the besieged and bombarded territory, he further said.

The confirmation comes a day after the Israel announced that it had killed the Hamas leader.

Sinwar was selected as Hamas head after the killing of former chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31.

He previously served as the Hamas' Gaza chief, a position that cemented his reputation as a key figure in the organisation. 

His assassination was hailed by Israel and the United States, who considered him as their "biggest enemy" after Haniyeh.

Born on October 19, 1962, in Khan Younis's refugee camp, Sinwar was a key figure in Hamas. He received his primary education in Khan Younis and obtained a bachelor's degree in Arabic from the Islamic University of Gaza.

He spent 23 years in Israeli prisons before being released through a prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel in 2011.

In September 2015, the US added Sinwar's name to the blacklist of international terrorists. He was elected head of Hamas' political wing in the Gaza Strip in 2017, replacing Ismail Haniyeh.

He was also given the nickname "The Butcher of Khan Younis" by Israel.