Hamas leader Sinwar died of gunshot to the head, autopsy report reveals-Telangana Today

According to a report, Israeli soldiers cut off Sinwar’s finger for DNA confirmation.

Tel Aviv: Autopsy reports on the body of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar revealed that he was shot in the head during an intelligence ground raid in southern Gaza.

Sinwar, who headed Hamas’ political bureau, was discovered by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah. IDF Brigade 828 discovered Sinwar’s body during its operation.

According to a report, Israeli soldiers cut off one of Sinwar’s fingers for DNA confirmation. Soldiers reportedly found a body resembling 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 prisoner swap in 2011.

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

“After the lab built the profile, we compared it with Sinwar’s profile during the time he served here as a prisoner, so we could finally identify him by his DNA,” Kugel told CNN . Troopers 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 next to a body, believed to be that of Sinwar, with the index finger of his left hand severed. However, images 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 was shot in the head.

Although the Hamas leader suffered other injuries, including those caused by 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 torn off, consistent with the chief pathologist’s findings. Before the raid, Israeli forces reportedly 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 seeking a new political leader based outside of Gaza. Yahaya’s brother Mohammad Sinwar is expected to take his place. Yahya Sinwar was the mastermind of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, in which more than 1,200 people were killed, leading to a year-long Israeli operation in Gaza, killing more than 40,000 people.