Hamas chief Sinwar died of gunshot wound to head, autopsy report reveals – Telangana Today

According to one report, Israeli soldiers cut off one of Sinwar’s fingers to confirm the DNA

Tel Aviv: Autopsy reports on the body of Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar revealed that he was killed by a gunshot wound to the head during an intelligence-led ground raid in southern Gaza.

Sinwar, who headed the Hamas politburo, was found by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Tel al-Sultan area of ​​Rafah. The IDF’s 828th Brigade discovered Sinwar’s body during their operation.

According to one report, Israeli soldiers cut off one of Sinwar’s fingers to confirm the DNA. Soldiers reportedly found a body similar to Sinwar’s in a hideout and used a DNA profile from his time in an Israeli prison, where he was held for two decades until his release in a plea deal. prisoner exchange in 2011.

Chen Kugel, the chief pathologist at Israel’s National Center for Forensic Medicine, confirmed the method used to verify Sinwar’s identity, CNN reports.

“After the lab did the profiling, we compared it to the profile Sinwar had during the term he was serving here as a prisoner, so we could finally identify him by his DNA,” Kugel told CNN. Troopers had initially tried to identify him through his dental records, but that was inconclusive, Kugel said. Videos circulating on social media show Israeli troops searching the hideout.

In one video, two soldiers are seen standing next to a body, believed to be Sinwar’s, with the index finger of his left hand cut off. However, pictures circulating on social media show that Sinwar’s body was initially seen with all fingers intact and then with one missing. Kugel also revealed that Sinwar died of a gunshot wound to the head.

While the Hamas leader had other injuries, including those from a tank shell, Kugel said the fatal wound was caused by the bullet. Images posted online show extensive damage to Sinwar’s face, with part of his skull blown off, according to the chief pathologist’s findings. Before the attack, Israeli forces fired a tank shell at the hideout and then conducted a ground operation to assess the damage and search for survivors.

With a history of quickly and effectively replacing its fallen leaders, Hamas is looking for a new political leader based outside of Gaza. Yahaya’s brother Mohammad Sinwar is expected to take his place. Yahya Sinwar masterminded the October 7, 2023 attack in Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, which resulted in a year-long Israeli operation in Gaza that killed more than 40,000.