The Israeli Prime Minister has declared that the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar marks the “beginning of the end” of the conflict in Gaza.
“Yahya Sinwar is deceased. He was killed in Rafah by the courageous soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces,” Benjamin Netanyahu stated in an English language video released by his office.
“Although this does not signify the end of the war in Gaza, it heralds the beginning of the end.”
This announcement followed Israel’s report that its forces had neutralized Sinwar during an operation in southern Gaza on Wednesday.
People in Jerusalem are celebrating the death of Yahya Sinwar.
In parallel, Hezbollah has announced a new phase in its conflict with Israel, claiming it has employed precision-guided missiles against troops for the first time.
Since September 23, Israel has been heavily bombarding southern and eastern Lebanon, areas under the influence of the militant group.
The two rivals have been involved in intense combat in Lebanese border villages following Israel’s ground invasion last month.
Hezbollah “proclaims a shift to a new and more aggressive phase in the struggle against the Israeli enemy, which will be evident in the changes and events occurring in the coming days,” the group announced in a statement.
“Hundreds of fighters … are fully equipped to counter any potential Israeli ground incursions into southern Lebanese villages,” the group asserted, highlighting that attacks against Israel have surged in recent days.
It noted that its rocket strikes continue to “intensify day by day,” with “precision-guided ones … now being utilized for the first time.”
Latest Middle East stories
On September 27, Israel killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike on the Lebanese capital, Beirut.
Additionally, it has consistently urged that the group be pushed away from the border to allow its citizens to return to their homes in northern Israel.
Earlier, Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah remarked that the Israeli army was not fully in control of any village in southern Lebanon.
