this is bbc news. the headlines: israel's security cabinet has been told that it's very likely that hamas leader yahya sinwar has been killed. sinwar was the architect of the october the 7th attacks on israel that killed more than 1200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. on this programme, we'll get the latest details as they emerge and assess what sinwar�*s death would mean — if it's confirmed — for the year—long conflict in the region.

let's continue with that major breaking story from the middle east. the israeli military says it may have killed the hamas leader, yahya sinwar, in a military operation in gaza. israeli officials appear increasingly confident that he is one of the three people killed during that operation, but dna tests are being carried out for a definitive confirmation. yahya sinwar is seen as the chief architect of the october 7th attacks on israel last year. the idf said today's operation was on a building where there was no sign of israeli hostages. let of israeli hostages. me bring you some of the latest let me bring you some of the latest pictures, this from yoav gallant, the israeli defence minister, who is holding a briefing with the chief of general staff, and the director of the isa along the gaza border. these are the pictures he has been tweeting in the last hour or so to say "our

enemies cannot hide. we will pursue and eliminate them." a further hint as to what has happened today as they wait for confirmation of who they have killed in this attack. i'm just seeing the latest from the pentagon in front of me with reuters saying "pentagon officials have been notified by israel about the hamas leader's potential death and we are awaiting updates." that's from defence officials in the us. president biden is also being kept right up to date as you would expect. let's try to find out more of the detail about what has happened in the last few hours. i've been speaking to a senior fellow at the foundation for defence and democracy. jonathan conricus is a senior fellow at the foundation for defense of democracies and a former

spokesperson for the israel defense forces. he told me what his contacts say has happened there are very high levels of confidence in the fact that it was indeed yahya sinwar. there is also quite a lot of surprise, according to what i understand so far, this wasn't anything like how israel took out many of the other terrorists in the region, hassan nasrallah and many others, based on intel and a targeted elimination. this appears to have been more fortunate. it's been said in the past, i've said it, that sinwar and the other terrorists have to be lucky every time in order to evade theirfate have to be lucky every time in order to evade their fate and israel only has to be lucky once. it appears by the information we have now that israel and he got lucky and that israeli soldiers in above ground contact with terrorists in the central southern part of the gaza strip indeed got yahya

sinwar. and as you said correctly, there is a lot of dna in is really storage they will be able to verify with and i think within the coming less than an hour, we will have an official is really confirmation official is really confirmation of it. ., . official is really confirmation ofit. ., . of it. you are saying, in effect, _ of it. you are saying, in effect, the _ of it. you are saying, in effect, the idf - of it. you are saying, in effect, the idf got - of it. you are saying, in | effect, the idf got lucky of it. you are saying, in - effect, the idf got lucky here. it was above ground and they simply stumbled into this group. simply stumbled into this urou -. simply stumbled into this i rou . _ ., , simply stumbled into this u-rou. ., ., ., group. the as the information so far -- _ group. the as the information so far -- that _ group. the as the information so far -- that is _ group. the as the information so far -- that is the _ so far —— that is the information so far. in other events were terrorist leaders were taken out, many other people who are part of the establishment would know in advance and they would be preparations and the media kit would be ready and necessary precautions taken before. that wasn't the case now, there's been a lot of buzzing rumours over the last few hours but nothing confirmed yet. the fact that he was encountered, it really was him above ground and

not on one of the tunnels where he reportedly hid for about a year. it should be emphasised, this is very important for israeli listeners and anybody who cares about the fate of the hostages, what is really forces are put out quickly is there was no trace or evidence of hostages in the whereabouts where yahya sinwar was apprehended or killed, if it was him. apprehended or killed, if it was him-— was him. that significant because _ was him. that significant because we _ was him. that significant because we have - was him. that significant because we have known | was him. that significant. because we have known and was him. that significant - because we have known and there have been reports over the last 12 months as they continue to hunt for him that at different stages, parts of his security has involved having hostages very close around him.- has involved having hostages very close around him. yes, i personally — very close around him. yes, i personally know— very close around him. yes, i personally know a _ very close around him. yes, i personally know a few - very close around him. yes, i. personally know a few different attempts that were made to eliminate yahya sinwar months ago that were cancelled because there was information that indicated there were israeli hostages with him, that yahya sinwar was using as human shields, and that saved him at least twice, and that appears to have not been the case now.

if this is indeed true, i think regarding hostages and a future situation, these israel, hamas and gaza, this might be the opportunity the region needs in order to turn the page and the war, start rebuilding gaza, in a more peaceful way and return hostages. i’ll a more peaceful way and return hostaues. �* ., ., hostages. i'll return to that oint in hostages. i'll return to that point in a _ hostages. i'll return to that point in a moment - hostages. i'll return to that point in a moment because hostages. i'll return to that l point in a moment because it hostages. i'll return to that - point in a moment because it is important but in terms of the basic details of what has happened here, what are you hearing about the location? where was this in terms of the gaza strip, north, central or south? ., ., south? central southern part of the gaza strip, _ south? central southern part of the gaza strip, above _ south? central southern part of the gaza strip, above ground. i j the gaza strip, above ground. i don't have a pinpoint location but the whereabouts of khan yunis in that vicinity, above ground and not in a tunnel, and few discussed the pictures, there was quite substantial

damage to that body is not only in one location so it probably looked like there was some sort of significant explosion. i would guess a tank around or perhaps air delivered ordinance and will have to get further detail from the and will have to get further detailfrom the idf but and will have to get further detail from the idf but the troops on the ground that were in contact there and clashed with terrorists on the ground are not the type of troops so far, as far as i know, that israel would use for a targeted, well—prepared elimination of a terrorist leader and it appears to be slightly different. this is preliminary information and we will have to wait for the idf to release official information.- to release official information. ., information. and you are exaecting _ information. and you are expecting that _ information. and you are expecting that to - information. and you are expecting that to come l expecting that to come potentially even within an hour or so. , ~ potentially even within an hour orso. , ~ ., ., ., , or so. the dna information is in israeli _ or so. the dna information is in israeli hands. _ or so. the dna information is in israeli hands. the - in israeli hands. the information which is in is really repositories from yahya

sinwar as a convicted terrorist in an israeli prison and now the dna from the body encountered, it shouldn't take long for that to establish and i'm sure this is absolute top priority for everybody in israel and the region to get to the truth as quickly as possible. i the truth as quickly as possible-— the truth as quickly as ossible. ., ., , ., possible. i read out before i came to _ possible. i read out before i came to you _ possible. i read out before i came to you at _ possible. i read out before i came to you at the - possible. i read out before i came to you at the first - came to you at the first response from the americans and part of the court was that if it is true and it turns out to be true, it could be a game changer. is that how you would see it as well?— see it as well? yes, i would see it as well? yes, i would see this _ see it as well? yes, i would see this today _ see it as well? yes, i would see this today as _ see it as well? yes, i would see this today as a - see it as well? yes, i would see this today as a moment see it as well? yes, i would i see this today as a moment of possible hope for ending the war and gaza, forgetting our 101 hostages back —— for getting hostages back, and something in gaza that has not ruled by extremists or hamas or unrwa and we can start building a future for the benefit of civilians in gaza and israel.

with yahya sinwar out of the picture, i think we are at the cusp of a new stage and i'm very optimistic if that is indeed so. i very optimistic if that is indeed so.— very optimistic if that is indeed so. ., ., ., indeed so. i was asking our correspondence _ indeed so. i was asking our correspondence and - indeed so. i was asking our| correspondence and editors indeed so. i was asking our- correspondence and editors that question, this was one of the crucial aims for benjamin netanyahu, destroying tomas, neta nyahu, destroying tomas, the netanyahu, destroying tomas, the whole leadership has in effect been taken out —— destroying hamas. does that bring us closer to perhaps a ceasefire deal being accepted finally? ceasefire deal being accepted finall ? , , , , finally? yes, it brings us closer but _ finally? yes, it brings us closer but we _ finally? yes, it brings us closer but we are - finally? yes, it brings us closer but we are not. finally? yes, it brings us i closer but we are not quite over the finishing line. if the israeli war goals were to eliminate hamas's military capacities, eliminate their political and administrative hold over the gaza strip and get the hostages back, neither of these three have been fully accomplished but israel has made a lot of advances and if

yahya sinwar is out of the picture, i think that will be a severe blow to tomas's ability to continue to control the gaza strip —— to hamas's ability to control the gaza strip. we know in the middle east we are hopeful about positive events and then reality smacks is in the head. that's why we have to be realistic but i think there are good reasons to be optimistic in this moment and hopefully the leaders of the free world, of democracy and of moderate arab countries in the region will seize this opportunity, put politics aside and focus on going forward, taking hamas out of the picture and starting to rebuild what is in gaza, which is in need of being rebuilt. that would be for the positive future of the region. at for the positive future of the reuion. �* ., , for the positive future of the reuion.�* ., , , ., region. a former idf spokesman talkinu region. a former idf spokesman talkin: to region. a former idf spokesman talking to us _ region. a former idf spokesman

talking to us earlier— region. a former idf spokesman talking to us earlier on - talking to us earlier on today's programme. fascinating today's programme. fascinating to hear what he had heard from his contacts in terms of where this has happened, how this had happened. i've also been talking to a professor of international relations at qatar university who gave me his reaction to news that has been emerging. i think this is a surprise given the fact that yahya sinwar was very good at hiding and he was in position to control and command the palestinian resistance against the israeli occupation, so it's very surprising that the israelis have failed for a year but now they succeed. i think first of all it's going to be a severe blow to the morale of the palestinian resistance and will demoralise them for a while and it will be seen as a victory for benjamin netanyahu who is struggling to get this victory and i think this is as opportunity to portray himself

as mr security in israel and i think it will take advantage of that and capitalise on it internally, but again, the war is far from being over and i think hamas will continue fighting until there is an acceptable solution for all parties concerned. before i ask you the next question, let me tell our viewers, in the last little while in a social media post, the israeli defence minister has posted, he says, "our enemies cannot hide. we will pursue and eliminate them." so another hint from the defence minister, as we await confirmation of the death of the hamas leader, but another clue or hint coming from senior israelis. let me just ask you in terms of hamas, their leadership now, their top tiers have been taken out if this is indeed yahya sinwar. where does it leave

them, do you think? i think they are going to be confused for a while, but we have learned from history that eliminating a top leader does not mean the movement will come to an end, and i think they will have the ability to replace him soon. we will see a guy that will take over and fill in for him and apparently this is not an easy task, for sure. but hamas is an idea, it is not yahya sinwar. it was before yahya sinwar it and it will continue after as long as the israeli occupation continues. this is the common sense amongst the palestinians and now they are going to be weaker for a while, but they have been weakened over the last year because of the israelis and because of the environment for hamas. ya hya yahya sinwar was ya hya sinwar was not yahya sinwar was not the first and won't be the last.

and again here, it indicates one thing that the military solution is not the one that would cure all of the ills in the middle east. there should be a political solution and this might help all parties to come up with something that would push them to agree on a ceasefire deal. a correspondent at bbc cat might verify talked me through the work they are doing. we've spent the last couple of hours of bbc verify looking through some of the pictures and footage and source material available just to recap on what we do know. the statement from the idf dropped just before 2pm uk time, there was a strike, we don't know where, the idf says three terrorists were killed and they are working to confirm

if one of them is the hamas leader, this man, yahya sinwar. the idf has also said there is no sign of hostages in the area where the strike took place. at verify, in this situation, we look for all the material from gaza which can help us confirm what has happened and to build up more of a picture about what has transpired over the last few hours. there is some very graphic imagery online which we are pretty sure appeared for the first time this afternoon. we are not showing it because of how graphic it is. the picture shows a dead man with a severe head injury surrounded by rubble. the man also appears to be wearing a military type vest. what we have been doing is looking at that picture and some of the other pictures which are