The IDF has refused to confirm or deny Israeli reports that Hamas’s leader in the Gaza Strip has been killed in an IDF airstrike in Gaza.

Though there is no hard evidence pointing to Yahya Sinwar’s death, the terror leader has not released any public messages for a long time and was reportedly hiding in a Gaza tunnel recently struck by the IDF, security sources told Haaretz.

Addressing the rumours about the Sinwar’s death in a press briefing on Monday morning, IDF spokesperson R Admiral Hagari said: “Regarding what has come up in the past days about Sinwar's situation, I can neither confirm nor deny it.

“We have one mission – to reach Sinwar, and we will," he told reporters.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan was the first outlet to report that the terror chief may have been killed or injured while hiding underground in Gaza’s tunnel network.

Since then, Haaretz, Maariv and the Walla news sites have all reported that the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate was investigating the possibility.

Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar holds the child of an Al-Qassam Brigades fighter. Sinwar has been on the run since October 7 and has not been found despite Israeli and American intelligence efforts (Getty Images)

The Shin Bet agency was said to believe Sinwar is alive, according to the Walla news site.

Walla columnist Ben Caspit suggested sources close to the matter were skeptical of the death rumours, since this is not the first time Sinwar has gone off the radar for extended periods of time since October 7.

He quoted sources saying: “There have also been times in the past when he disappeared and we thought he was dead, but then he reappeared.”

Axios journalist Barak Ravid also voiced doubt about the rumours, writing on X/Twitter: “Two Israeli officials with direct knowledge told me Israel doesn't have positive intelligence that suggests Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar is dead.”

He quoted an Israeli official saying: "It is all hopes and guesses which are based on the fact the Sinwar has been incommunicado in recent weeks.”