Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed, on Thursday, the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, describing the operation as a “blow to evil.”

Netanyahu said in a video speech that the region now has an opportunity to stop the “axis of evil” and bring peace and prosperity to the Middle East, adding that “the mission is not complete and the war is not over yet.”

Netanyahu continued that Israel will continue with full force until the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since October 7, 2023 are returned.

Netanyahu added, addressing the Palestinians, “Hamas will not rule Gaza, and this is an opportunity for the people of Gaza to liberate themselves from its tyranny.”

On Thursday, Israel officially announced the killing of Sinwar, saying that this represented “a great military and moral achievement for Israel.”

The Israeli army and the Shin Bet Security Service said in a statement that “a force from the 828th Brigade spotted and killed three Hamas members in an operation that took place in the southern Gaza Strip,” adding that “after completing the process of identifying the body, it can be confirmed that the person called Yahya Al-Sinwar was killed.”

The statement added that the operation took place yesterday, Wednesday.

In turn, Israeli Foreign Minister Yisrael Katz said that the killing of Sinwar represents “a great military and moral achievement for Israel and a victory for the entire free world against the axis of evil represented by extremist Islam led by Iran.”

The Israeli Defense Minister described Sinwar's killing as sending "a clear message to all the families of the dead and kidnapped Israelis that we are doing everything to harm those who harmed your loved ones and to free the kidnapped ones and return them to their families."

He added that the killing of Sinwar also sends “a clear message to the residents of Gaza that the man who led to the disaster in the Strip has reached his end.”

Gallant called on Hamas militants to surrender and release the kidnapped Israelis who are still in Gaza.

Sinwar was elected head of Hamas's political bureau in August, succeeding Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Tehran on July 31, in an operation attributed to Israel.

Sinwar (61 years old) is the “living dead man” for Israel, which considers him a main target and accuses him of being the architect of the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war in the besieged Palestinian Strip.