Hamas confirms official death of Yahya Sinwar

Palestinian militant Hamas officially confirmed the death of its top political leader, Yahya Sinwar, on Wednesday local time.

Hamas said in a statement that Yahya Sinwar, the commander of the "Al-Aqsa Flood" battle, was martyred.

"On the road to Palestinian liberation, he gave his soul to God," Hamas said, adding, "On the frontline, he stood firm against the occupying forces Israel and defended the proud land of Gaza."

"Unless the attack on Gaza stops and our hero captives are released from occupied prisons, hostages will not be able to return," he said, stressing that he would not release Israeli hostages without a ceasefire and prisoner exchange negotiations.

"We will march towards the great martyr Sinwar," Hamas military group Al-Qassam Brigade said in a separate statement. "For God's sake, let us bleed to be martyred with Islamic fighters on the road to liberation of Palestine."

"It is delusional to think that the enemy can extinguish the flame of resistance by assassinating the leader," he said, stressing that "our jihad will not stop until the Palestinians are liberated and the last Zionist is expelled."

Lebanon's pro-Iranian militant group Hezbollah also issued a statement of remembrance, saying its great leader Yahya Sinwar had become a martyr on his way to Jerusalem's Arabic-language designation of Al Quds.

Sinwar is the man who designed and led the October 7 Israeli raid last year, which Hamas called Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.

Sinwar was Hamas's Gaza leader and was elected as Hamas' top leader after Hamas political director Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated by Israel in Tehran on July 31.