Israel says it has killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

Death of a mastermind of the Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel could raise tensions further

Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Oct 17 that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed.

"Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of Oct 7, was killed today by IDF soldiers," Mr Katz said in a statement.

Sinwar was one of the masterminds of the devastating Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel that triggered the Gaza war. He was recently elevated to paramount leader of the Palestinian militant group.

Israel has killed several Hamas commanders in Gaza as well as senior Hezbollah figures in Lebanon, including its veteran leader Hassan Nasrallah, dealing heavy blows to its arch-foes.

Sinwar's death could dial up tensions in the Middle East, where fears of a wider conflict have grown as Israel plans its response to the Oct 1 missile attack by Iran.

The commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guards warned Israel earlier on Oct 17 against attacking the Islamic Republic.

"We tell you that if you commit any aggression against any point, we will painfully attack the same point of yours," Mr Hossein Salami said in a televised speech, adding that Iran can penetrate Israel's defences.

There has been speculation that Israel could strike Iran's nuclear facilities, as it has long threatened to do, and other options include attacks on its vital oil sites.

Russia is warning Israel against any strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, state news agency Tass quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Oct 17.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, on a Middle East tour, met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Cairo, with Mr Sisi reiterating Egypt's call to avoid an expansion of the conflict, the Egyptian presidency said.

However, Israel shows no signs of easing its military campaigns against Hezbollah in Lebanon, and it has vowed to punish Iran for its Oct 1 attack.