Israel settled its account with Sinwar but war is not yet ended: Netanyahu

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday said Israel had settled its account with the person who carried out the worst massacre in the history of our people since the Holocaust.

Netanyahu said the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was an important moment in the war to bring home the hostages being held in Gaza. He also said anyone who surrendered weapons and assisted with the return of the hostages would be allowed to leave Gaza safely.

Still, he added, our war has not yet ended.

Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas' top leader Sinwar, a chief architect of last year's attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was the man Israel has hunted for more than a year.

Sinwar has topped Israel's most wanted list since the beginning of the Israel-Hamas war just over a year ago, and his killing strikes a powerful blow to the militant group. There was no immediate confirmation from Hamas of his death.