Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, the main mastermind of the 2023 cross-border attack that was the deadliest day in Israel‘s history, killed by a gunshot wound to the head, Israeli specialist Dr. Chen Kugel, who assisted in the autopsy on the body, told The New York Times.
According to Kugel, Sinwar had previously been hit by shrapnel, possibly from a small missile or tank shell, which severely damaged his arm. won’t do anything… Not strong enough, and his arm is broken.”
When talking to CNN, an IDF the spokesman in Kugel’s findings said that there was an exchange of gunfire and the battle ended with the Israeli army firing tanks at the building. The Israeli military is still working to learn all the details of the event, a spokesman said.
“It’s based on what’s found in the body,” Kugel said. “He suffered injuries from other sources, such as a missile wound in the right arm, masonry fell on the left leg, or thigh, and many shrapnel entered the body, but only in the chest. They caused severe damage, but the cause of death was the wound in the head .
When asked about the approximate time of Sinwar’s death, Kugel told CNN it was late Wednesday afternoon — more than 24 hours before the body arrived at the agency late Thursday night, he said.
Fingers are amputated for DNA testing
The pathologist told CNN that Hamas leader Sinwar’s finger was amputated and sent for DNA analysis to confirm his identity when Israeli forces found him on Wednesday.
Dr. Kugel said, “After the laboratory made a profile, we compared it with the profile that Sinwar had in the term that he served here as a prisoner, so that then we could identify him finally by his DNA.”
Before being released in 2011 as part of a prisoner exchange for Israeli soldiers, Sinwar had been incarcerated in Israeli prisons for more than two decades. Kugel mentioned that he first tried to identify her using dental records from photographs, but that method was unreliable.
The remains of the Hamas leader were transported to the Tel Aviv forensic center at 21:30 (local time). there, where a complete DNA analysis was conducted. According to Kugel, the examination provided definitive confirmation that the body was indeed Sinwar’s, with a 100% level of certainty.
Some aspects of the incident remain unclear, such as the identity of the shooter, the time of the shooting, and the weapon used.
Hamas confirmed Sinwar’s death
In a televised address on Friday, Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar’s longtime deputy, confirmed his death but stressed that it did not change Hamas’ stance or the conflict with Israel.
“We mourn the great leader, the martyred brother, Yahya Sinwar, Abu Ibrahim,” Qatar-based Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya said in a video statement.
On Israeli hostages, Hayya said, “Prisoners of the occupation will not return unless the aggression in Gaza stops, there is a complete withdrawal from (Gaza), and our prisoners are released from prison.”
“Hamas will continue until the establishment of a Palestinian state on all Palestinian land with Jerusalem as its capital,” he said.
Who will be the next head of Hamas?
The death of Yahya Sinwar has created a leadership vacuum in the Palestinian terrorist organization. Various reports on Friday speculated about potential candidates for the role.
According to a Hamas source who spoke to the London-based Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, discussions are underway within the group to elect a new leader. A senior Hamas official told the same newspaper that Sinwar’s death would affect the terror group that rules Gaza, which is now entering a “new phase,” as reported by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan.
Another source suggested that in Sinwar’s absence, the leaders who are still abroad will now make decisions within Hamas. This shift in power dynamics could speed up long-stalled negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage deal.
However, sources in Israel’s defense establishment are skeptical about the possibility of someone successfully filling Sinwar’s shoes, according to the Times of Israel citing a report on Israel’s Walla website.
