Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian militant leader who orchestrated Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, was killed during a battle in Gaza. The Israeli military said today that it confirmed his death using a sample of his DNA.

Sinwar, who was known for his brutality and elusiveness, had been the No. 1 target for Israel since the beginning of the war. He was believed to still be closely overseeing Hamas military operations, and Israel, along with the U.S., had dedicated vast resources to hunt him down. But in the end, a unit of trainee squad commanders unexpectedly encountered him while on an operation in southern Gaza.

The Israeli soldiers, who were backed by drones, engaged in a firefight, bringing down part of a building and killing three Palestinian militants. When the dust settled, they retrieved a body that Israel later confirmed was Sinwar’s — a surprising place to find a man who was believed to be hiding out underground.

Sinwar was considered the driving force behind Hamas’s refusal to surrender. His death could unlock stalled truce talks, but major barriers still remain. Sinwar’s hard-line brother, Muhammad, is believed to still be alive and to retain significant influence.

Many Gazans welcomed the news, hoping it would mean a quick end to the conflict. Others said they didn’t believe the reports. For families of hostages in Israel, it brought satisfaction, but also deep trepidation over the fate of the captives.