The Israeli military says it may have killed Hamas chief Sinwar in Gaza

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UPDATES with testing information

Israel’s military said Thursday it was “verifying” whether Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar was killed during a military operation in Gaza, in what would be the latest in a series of deaths of militant leaders.

A brief military statement did not provide details of the specific operation or when it was carried out, but said Sinwar may have been one of three Palestinian militants killed.

During “operations in the Gaza Strip, three terrorists were eliminated,” and Israeli defense agencies “are checking the possibility that one of the terrorists was Yahya Sinwar. At this time, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed,” he said

“In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area,” the military added.

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.

“The Israeli army is conducting DNA tests on the body of a militant to confirm whether it is Sinwar,” the official said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media on the matter.

Later on Thursday, Israeli police and the military said one of several tests being conducted to identify Sinwar had been completed, while other examinations were ongoing.

“One of the multiple assessments required for absolute confirmation has been completed. Dental images have been sent to the police forensics laboratory, and DNA testing is currently underway. Once these processes are complete, we will be able to confirm the murder,” he added. joint statement

Israel accuses Sinwar, 61, of masterminding the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war, along with Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.

The Israeli military has said Deif was killed in an attack earlier this year, although the Palestinian group has not confirmed this.

Sinwar in August replaced former Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated in Iran on July 31. Israel has not claimed responsibility for Haniyeh’s death.

The Hamas attack last year left 1,206 people dead on Israeli soil, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli figures that include hostages killed in captivity.

Israel’s retaliatory military offensive in Gaza has killed 42,438 people, mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry. The UN recognizes that the figures are reliable.

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