What we know about the fate of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar

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Israel said Thursday it was checking whether it had killed Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, in what would be a major blow to the Palestinian militant group after more than a year of fighting in Gaza.

Here’s what we know about the operation and the fate of the man Israel accuses of leading the October 7, 2023 attack that sparked the war.

The Israeli military said late Thursday that “three terrorists were eliminated” during operations in Gaza and that defense agencies were checking whether one of them was Sinwar.

The statement did not specify when, where or how the three were killed.

“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area,” says the military statement, referring to those arrested during the October 7 attack.

Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV said the operation took place in the Rafah region of southern Gaza.

Israeli news website Ynet reported that cash and identification documents were found on the bodies, which were first examined by drones.

Israel’s leftist newspaper Haaretz reported that the troops involved in the operations did not appear to have been conducting a targeted raid and had no prior information about Sinwar’s presence in the area.

Unverified footage circulating online showed Israeli soldiers surrounding the dust-covered body of a man resembling Sinwar who appeared to have suffered a severe, bleeding head wound. The man was wearing a thick watch and was surrounded by debris.

An Israeli security official told AFP the army was conducting a DNA test on the body of a militant to confirm whether it was Sinwar.

In a statement released Thursday evening, the Israeli police and military said one of several tests had been completed, while other tests were ongoing.

“The dental images have been sent to the police forensics laboratory and DNA tests are ongoing. Once these processes are complete, we will be able to confirm the murder,” the statement said.

It was unclear how long the final tests would last or when an announcement might come.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan 11 and Haaretz quoted officials as saying it was highly likely that Sinwar was killed.

After the Israeli military said it was trying to confirm Sinwar’s death, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said Israel would “pursue all terrorists and eliminate them.”

His post on X was accompanied by photographs of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah, whom Israel killed in an attack in Beirut last month, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, who Israel said it killed earlier in ‘this year, although the Palestinian group has not confirmed it.

AFP has contacted Hamas, but so far there has been no reaction to the news that Sinwar may have been killed.

The United States, Israel’s closest ally and top military backer, has also not provided any confirmation, but an official told AFP that President Joe Biden was briefed on the Air Force One while on his way to Berlin.

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