(Image source from: EPA)

Israel is reportedly investigating the potential death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar following a deadly rocket strike on a school in Gaza City. The Israeli military said the strike targeted a Hamas command center, while Palestinian health authorities reported 22 people killed. Israeli officials are now looking into the possibility that Sinwar may have been killed during Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to reports. Journalist Ben Caspit noted that there are suggestions Sinwar may no longer be alive, though the Israeli security agency Shin Bet believes he is still alive. Caspit also mentioned Sinwar's history of evading death after similar past incidents.

The possibility of the man's death is currently being investigated, but the likelihood is not high, according to a knowledgeable source. There have been instances in the past where he disappeared and was presumed dead, only to reappear later. Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israel, became the new leader of Hamas in August, following the death of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in an explosion in Iran. Sinwar, born in 1962, was one of the founding members of Hamas in 1987. He previously headed the group's security branch and was known for his harsh tactics against suspected informants. Sinwar was imprisoned by Israel in the late 1980s for killing 12 people accused of being informants, receiving four life sentences. While incarcerated, he organized protests for better conditions and studied Hebrew and Israeli society. In 2008, he overcame brain cancer with treatment from Israeli doctors and was released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for an Israeli soldier captured by Hamas.

This attack led to the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis. This event sparked a conflict that has taken the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by Palestinian authorities.