Yahya Sinwar’s medical records from his Israeli prison detention helped identify his body

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) officials confirmed on October 17 the death of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwarthe man responsible for orchestrating the Hamas attack on October 7 last year, one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Israel. News of his death follows a year-long manhunt sparked by his ordering the Hamas attack, in which more than 1,200 people were killed and 251 others taken as hostages.

Sinwar, 61, was among three suspected militants killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza on October 16. However, troops only suspected one of the men to be Sinwar and had yet to confirm his identity.

His identification was made possible through medical records, dental prints and DNA samples. Sinwar, imprisoned in Israel from the late 1980s until 2011, developed a brain tumor while incarcerated in Eshel prison.

An Israeli surgeon operated on him, saving his life, which left the authorities with a lot of medical data on him.

Several news reports also claimed that oral and orthodontic specialists confirmed the jaw structure, which initially helped identify Sinwar’s body before DNA testing provided final confirmation.

Photos also appeared on social media showing the body of a man resembling Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, lying partially buried in the rubble of a destroyed building. The man, dressed in a military-style vest, had a visible head injury.

On October 17, Israel officially announced the death of Yahya Sinwar.

HOW YAHYA SINWAR WAS KILLED

The encounter between Sinwar and Israeli troops occurred when infantry troops from the Bislach Brigade, carry out a search operation in the Tal El Sultan area for high-ranking Hamas members, spotted three suspected militants moving between buildings.

A shootout ensued, during which Sinwar took refuge in a ruined building, according to a report from Reuters news agency.

Israeli forces responded with tank shells and a missile aimed at the building. Footage from a mini drone deployed by the Israel Defense Forces captured a man, later revealed to be Sinwar, slumped in a chair and covered in dust.

The video shows the injured man throwing stick at dronean action that further confirmed the IDF’s suspicions. However, at the time, the military only identified the figure as a fighter. Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, an Israeli army spokesman, said: “He tried to escape and our forces eliminated him.”

It was not until the soldiers returned to the scene the next day that the soldiers noticed that the body bore a striking resemblance to the man they were hunting.

Fearing possible traps, they removed part of his finger to send it to Israel for testing. BBC report said.

Several news reports also claimed that oral and orthodontic specialists confirmed the jaw structure, which initially helped identify Sinwar’s body before DNA testing provided final confirmation.