Israel slams UN head over Sinwar’s killing, Hamas vows to fight on

Israel has condemned United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres for not “welcoming” the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

According to The Guardian, foreign minister Israel Katz claimed that the UN chief was “leading an extreme anti-Israel and anti-Jewish agenda”.

“Guterres did not welcome the elimination of arch-terrorist Yahya Sinwar, just as he refused to declare Hamas a terrorist organisation after the Oct 7 massacre.

“We will continue to designate him as persona non grata and bar his entry to Israel,” he said.

Meanwhile, a senior Hamas official said that the death of its leaders would not deter the organisation or end its struggle.

“Hamas is a liberation movement led by people looking for freedom and dignity, and this cannot be eliminated,” said Basem Naim, senior member of Hamas’ political bureau, to AFP.

“It seems Israel believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people.

“Hamas each time became stronger and more popular, and these leaders became icons for future generations to continue the journey towards a free Palestine,” he added.

Early this morning, Katz confirmed that Sinwar, who was described as the mastermind behind last year’s Oct 7 attack, had been killed.

The minister described this as a “significant military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world”.

“The elimination of Sinwar (above) opens the possibility for the immediate release of the hostages and paves the way for a change that will lead to a new reality in Gaza - without Hamas and without Iranian control,” he added.

The BBC quoted the Israeli Defence Forces claiming that Sinwar was killed by its troops during an operation south of Gaza on Wednesday.

UNRWA denies reports of staff member killed with Hamas leader

Report: Israel confirms killing Oct 7 'mastermind' Yahya Sinwar