Sinwar — who had been the de facto head of Hamas since Ismail Haniyeh was killed in July — was a U.S.-designated terrorist and had been at the top of Israel’s most-wanted list since the start of the Israel-Hamas war a year ago.

Israel’s killing of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader and the mastermind of the group’s Oct. 7 2023, attack, is a dramatic turning point in the brutal yearlong war that it touched off.