Jerusalem — Israeli forces in Gaza killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, a chief architect of last year’s attack on Israel that sparked the war, the military said Thursday. Troops appeared to have run across him unknowingly in a battle, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was Israel’s most-wanted man.

Back in March, Vice President Kamala Harris warned Israel not to enter Rafah, the southern Gaza enclave where Hamas had holed up among the its civilian population, saying in an interview that the U.S. would not rule out "consequences" if the Israeli military moved forward with an invasion.

The Israeli military says it has killed Hamas’ top leader Yahya Sinwar during a battle in Gaza. Troops appeared to have run across him in a battle on Wednesday, only to discover afterwards that a body in the rubble was the man Israel has hunted for more than a year.