The head of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip, Khalil al-Hayya, said in a speech today, Thursday, that “Hamas is proceeding until the establishment of the Palestinian state on the entire Palestinian territory with Jerusalem as its capital,” stressing that “the prisoners will not return unless the aggression stops and the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

He added, announcing the death of Al-Sinwar: “We mourn for you the commander of the Al-Aqsa Flood Battle, Yahya Al-Sinwar.”

He continued: “Al-Sinwar continued his giving after leaving prison until his eyes were covered with kohl by the great flood.”

He stressed that “Al-Sanwar is a continuation of the caravan of great martyrs in the footsteps of the founding Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.”

The leader of the Hamas movement, Bassem Naim, said today, Friday, that the movement “cannot be eliminated,” without confirming the killing of the head of the Hamas political bureau, Yahya Sinwar, whose killing was announced by Israel yesterday.

Naim told Agence France-Presse: “It seems that Israel believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people.” He added: "Hamas is a liberation movement led by a people searching for freedom and dignity, and this cannot be eliminated."

He referred to former Hamas leaders who were killed at the hands of Israel, and said, “Every time, the Hamas movement has become stronger and its popularity greater.”

This is the first comment from Hamas after Israel announced yesterday that Sinwar was killed, on Wednesday, in a military operation in Gaza.

For its part, the Lebanese Hezbollah group announced, on Friday, “the transition to a new and escalating phase in the confrontation” with Israel, while Iran said that “the spirit of resistance will strengthen” after the killing of Sinwar.

Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack that started the war in the Gaza Strip, was killed during an operation carried out by Israeli soldiers in the Strip on Wednesday, which is a fundamental development in the conflict that has been going on for nearly a year.

Western leaders said his killing provided an opportunity to end the conflict, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war would continue until the return of those detained by Hamas.

Sinwar is believed to have been hiding in a network of tunnels built by Hamas under the Gaza Strip over the past two decades. He became head of the movement's political bureau after the assassination of his predecessor, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran in July.