Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar has been killed.

"Mass murderer Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the massacre and atrocities of October 7, was killed today by IDF soldiers," Katz said in a statement. After which, Israel Defence Forces posted on it's X account, "Eliminated: Yahya Sinwar."

Two of Israel's broadcasters, KAN and N12 News earlier cited Israeli officials as saying Sinwar was dead.

The Republican speaker of the US House of Representatives on Thursday applauded the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, saying his death had brought "relief" to the people of Israel.

"Sinwar's life was the embodiment of evil and marked by hatred for all that is good in the world," Mike Johnson said in a statement. "His death brings hope for all those who seek to live in freedom, and relief to Israelis he has sought to oppress."