The Israeli army has released a new photograph showing the assassination of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a year after his killing in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
The image, published on Thursday to mark the second anniversary of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip and one year since the killing of the Hamas leader, depicts senior Israeli commanders standing over Sinwar's body.
According to Haaretz and Channel 12, the photograph will be displayed in an Israeli army exhibition titled 'Enduring Moments', which opens Sunday at the Yitzhak Rabin Centre in Tel Aviv to commemorate two years since the start of the war.
The image shows Brigadier General Barak Hiram, commander of the Gaza Division, alongside former Southern Command chief Major General Yaron Finkelman and former Operations Directorate head Major General Oded Basiuk, standing above Sinwar's corpse.
The Israeli military has described the photograph as a "historic moment" documenting "the elimination of one of Israel’s greatest enemies".
Channel 12 said the picture was taken by a staff sergeant identified only by the letter "A", described as an operational documentarian. "A" told the Israeli broadcaster that he had been sent from Lebanon to Gaza shortly before the operation.
"After a few days in Lebanon, I was reassigned to Gaza," he said. "Just before we left, my team leader called me and said: 'Change of plans — we’re entering Rafah. The spokesman is on the way from the Kirya [army headquarters in Tel Aviv]. I can’t reveal the details yet, but get ready and go to Kerem Shalom.'"
He said the mission unfolded rapidly after receiving confirmation that Sinwar had likely been killed. "Before arriving, the Southern Command spokeswoman said: 'It’s very likely that Sinwar has been assassinated. You’re going there - there won’t be much time to take pictures, the body needs to be transferred to Israel.'"
The soldier recalled joining the general’s convoy and seeing news alerts confirming the assassination. "We went up the stairs to the second floor, a blanket was pulled back, and there we were - face to face with Yahya Sinwar’s body."
He added: "I’d often heard soldiers wondering whether they’d ever encounter Sinwar one day. And suddenly, there I was, in the same room with him, in Gaza, just a year after that accursed Saturday", referring to 7 October 2023, when Hamas launched its attack on Israel.
The Israeli daily Maariv published further details from the army's internal investigation, reporting that "a unit from the 450th Battalion bombed a building where armed movement was detected".
According to the report, "Sinwar was wounded in the strike and fled to a nearby structure, where he sat on a chair. An army drone scanned the area, located him, and as he tried to hit it with a wooden plank, he was struck by heavy fire. Sinwar bled for hours before dying of his wounds."
The publication of the image drew mixed reactions in Israel and abroad, with supporters praising it as a symbolic victory, while critics accused the army of "glorifying killing" and attempting to rewrite the narrative of the war.
An autopsy of his body conducted by Israeli authorities confirmed he had not eaten for three days before his death.
Hamas has yet to comment on the photograph’s release, though the movement marked the anniversary of Sinwar’s death earlier this week with a statement vowing that "the flag will not fall until liberation and the establishment of a Palestinian state".