Sinwar's death is "beginning of the end" of Gaza bombardment, says Netanyahu

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was the "beginning of the end" of the bombardment in Gaza.

Netanyahu's statement came after the Palestinian resistance group's political chief was killed by Israeli forces in Rafah on Wednesday.

“Yahya Sinwar is dead. He was killed in Rafah by the brave soldiers of the Israel Defence Forces,” Israeli PM said in a video statement release on Friday.

“While this is not the end of the war in Gaza, it’s the beginning of the end," he added.

Sinwar became the head of Hamas after Ismail Haniyeh's assassination in Tehran on July 31. He was previously the head of Hamas in Gaza. 

An Israeli security official revealed that the military is conducting DNA tests to confirm whether Sinwar's body is among those killed in the operation.

Hamas sources indicated that Sinwar was indeed killed in the Israeli operation, as reported by Reuters. 

US President Joe Biden hailed Sinwar's death as a "good day" for the world, stating it removes a key obstacle to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal. 

“This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” Biden said in a written statement.

“There is now the opportunity for a ‘day after’ in Gaza without Hamas in power, and for a political settlement that provides a better future for Israelis and Palestinians alike. “

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.