Israel-Hamas war: What happened on day 377?

The IDF confirmed the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday.

The IDF and ISA confirm that after a year-long pursuit yesterday (Wednesday), October 16, 2024, IDF soldiers from the Southern Command eliminated Yahya Sinwar, the leader of the Hamas terrorist organization, in an operation in the southern Gaza Strip. Yahya Sinwar planned and executed the October 7 Massacre, promoted his murderous ideology both before and during the war, and was responsible for the murder and abduction of many Israelis.

Former Hamas head Yahya Sinwar could be seen throwing a stick at the IDF drone that targeted him on Thursday moments before his assassination, Israel's military showed in released footage.

In the footage, a masked Sinwar is circled in red with the stick that he threw at the drone.

Sinwar can then be seen throwing the stick in the direction of the drone as he sits on a couch surrounded by the rubble of the building he was located within. 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is already communicating with Hamas's mediators, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, to rekindle ceasefire negotiations after they stalled when Yayha Sinwar pulled away from the road-blocked discussions. 

Blinken spoke with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud from aboard Air Force One on Thursday as US officials awaited confirmation from Israel of Sinwar's death, State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters on Thursday afternoon. 

US President Joe Biden spoke with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about new opportunities to free the remaining 101 hostages in Gaza in the aftermath of the IDF’s killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

“The two leaders agreed that there is an opportunity to advance the release of the hostage and that they will work together to achieve this goal,” the Prime Minister’s Office said. Biden also congratulated Netanyahu and the IDF on the assassination, the PMO added.

As Israel formally announced the assassination of Hamas’s leader, Yahya Sinwar, online reactions to this news began to accumulate, ranging between praise to disbelief and rejection, with some trying to build a narrative of a courageous death rather than a fleeing attempt.

President Biden and Vice President Harris both made official statements on the elimination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar on Thursday afternoon, shortly after Israeli officials confirmed Swinwar's DNA matched the body IDF forces found Wednesday night beneath ruins. 

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The IDF announced on Thursday evening that five soldiers fell during combat in southern Lebanon.

The death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is a serious blow to Iran and its “axis of resistance” in the region. The Islamic Republic has backed Hamas for many years. When Sinwar took charge, it was a major game-changer for Iran. Under Sinwar’s leadership and guidance over the past decade, Hamas has become a major terrorist group that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

Hamas’s leader Yahya Sinwar’s assassination opens the possibility of bringing an end to the Iran-led axis of evil and renews the possibility of freeing the remaining 101 hostages, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday night.

 “We have a great opportunity to halt the [Iranian-led] axis of evil and to create a different future,” Netanyahu said as he appealed to regional leaders.

“A future of peace, a future of prosperity for the entire region,” he said.

With all signs pointing to the idea that Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar was killed earlier Saturday, the main question is: will this end the Gaza war?