Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel confirms

Sinwar disappeared at the start of the war, triggered by the unprecedented Hamas attacks, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

Since that time thousands of Israeli troops backed by drones, electronic eavesdropping devices and human informants have tried to discover his whereabouts.

It was assumed that Mr. Sinwar spent much of the past year cornered below ground, hiding in tunnels somewhere beneath Gaza with his bodyguards.

Israel's president says Sinwar's "evil endeavours were dedicated to terror, bloodshed, and destabilising the Middle East".

According to Israeli police, Yayha Sinwar's body was initially identified through analysis of his dental records.

It says this was then confirmed by comparison of his fingerprints.

Israel will have both of these, along with his DNA records, since Sinwar had previously been imprisoned there for 22 years.

Separately, local authorities say an Israeli air strike on a school-turned-shelter killed 22 people in Jabalia in northern Gaza.

Israel says the site was being used as an operational meeting point for Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives - a claim Hamas denies.