International

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed by gunshot, autopsy reveals

An autopsy conducted by Israeli authorities revealed that the leader of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, died from a gunshot wound to the head, reported the American newspaper The New York Times on Friday.

Dr. Chen Kugel, director of Israel’s national forensic institute who oversaw the procedure, told the newspaper that Sinwar was initially injured in the arm by shrapnel, possibly from a missile or tank shell.

Following this, the Hamas leader tied an electrical cable around his arm in an apparent makeshift tourniquet, but according to Kugel, “it was not strong enough, and his forearm was shattered.”

Kugel added that a gunshot to the head ultimately killed Sinwar, but The New York Times reported that it remains unclear who fired the shot, when it occurred, and what weapon was used.

According to the Israeli army, Sinwar’s death occurred during a routine surveillance round on Wednesday.

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A group of soldiers was patrolling the city of Rafah when they encountered three Palestinian militants.

While the military pursued them, Sinwar separated from the other two, the army clarified.

Israeli forces subsequently fired a tank shell at the building where the two militants were hiding and at another building where Sinwar was taking refuge, it added.

Israeli media and military officials stated that there was no prior information indicating the presence of the Hamas leader in the area.

Images released by the Israeli army reportedly show Sinwar, covered in dust, sitting in an armchair and staring at a drone as it entered a house devastated by attacks.

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In the low-quality video, Sinwar is seen alone, with a severely injured hand and his head covered with a traditional scarf, throwing a stick at the drone.

The Israeli army conducted DNA tests, dental examinations, and other forensic investigations that helped confirm the leader’s identity.

He had not been seen in public since the outbreak of the war in Gaza following the deadly attack launched by Hamas in Israel on October 7, 2023, for which he was the mastermind.

Sinwar, 61, had led Hamas in Gaza since 2017 and was appointed the political leader of the movement in August following the death of Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran on July 31 in an attack attributed to Israel.

This group, which is supported by Iran, has governed Gaza since 2007.

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International

Iran Reports 201 Dead, 747 Injured After U.S. and Israeli Strikes

The Iranian Red Crescent Society reported Sunday night (local time) that at least 201 people were killed and 747 injured following attacks carried out by Israel and the United States against the Islamic Republic.

A spokesperson for the humanitarian organization said more than 220 rescue teams have been deployed across affected areas and that relief operations are continuing without interruption. The official highlighted the difficulty of treating the large number of wounded and the urgent need for additional resources in impacted provinces.

Out of Iran’s 31 provinces, 24 have reported damage, according to a statement carried by the Isna news agency. This marks the first overall casualty toll released by Iranian state-affiliated media since the launch of the offensive.

Among the dead are 85 schoolgirls from a school in the southern city of Minab, according to the country’s judiciary. “The number of martyrs at the Minab girls’ school has risen to 85,” the local prosecutor’s office said, as quoted by the judiciary’s website, Mizan Online.

Iranian President Masud Pezeshkian described the attack as a “savagery” that “constitutes a new black page in the record of countless crimes committed by the aggressors.”

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Meanwhile, the international community continues to monitor the situation closely amid concerns about possible further reprisals and the broader impact on Middle East stability, energy markets, and global security.

AFP noted that it was unable to independently verify the casualty figures or the circumstances surrounding the events.

International

Pope Leo XIV Urges End to ‘Spiral of Violence’ in Middle East

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called for an end to the “spiral of violence” in the Middle East, following military strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran and subsequent retaliatory bombardments in the region.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions, I urge the parties involved to assume their moral responsibility and stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss,” the pontiff told the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican.

Speaking during the Angelus prayer, the U.S.-born pope said stability and peace cannot be achieved through threats or weapons. “Stability and peace are not built with reciprocal threats or with arms that sow destruction, suffering and death, but only through reasonable, sincere and responsible dialogue,” he declared.

The leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics also called for diplomacy to “regain its role” amid escalating tensions.

In addition, the pope urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to urgently resume dialogue after several days of clashes between the two countries.

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International

Security Council to Hold Emergency Meeting on Middle East Crisis

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Saturday condemned the “military escalation in the Middle East” following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes, just hours before an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council.

“I call for the immediate cessation of hostilities and de-escalation,” Guterres said in a statement.

The Security Council is scheduled to meet on Saturday at 21:00 GMT (4:00 p.m. in New York) to address “the situation in the Middle East,” the United Nations announced.

The meeting, during which Guterres will deliver remarks, was convened at the request of France, Bahrain, Colombia, Russia and China, according to a diplomatic source.