Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar died of gunshot to head, report says

An Israeli autopsy found that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed by a gunshot to the head, The New York Times reported on Friday.

Dr Chen Kugel, who oversaw the autopsy, told the newspaper that Sinwar was first wounded in the arm by shrapnel, maybe from a missile or tank shell.

The Hamas leader then tied an electric cable around his arm in an apparent makeshift tourniquet, but Kugel – the director of Israel’s national forensic institute – said “it wasn’t strong enough, and his forearm was smashed”.

Kugel said a gunshot killed Sinwar, but the Times noted that it is unclear who fired the shot, when they did so and what weapon was used.

According to the Israeli military, Sinwar met his end at the hands of a routine patrol on Wednesday.

It said a group of soldiers of the 828th Brigade (Bislach) was moving through the city of Rafah when it came across three Palestinian militants. As the soldiers chased them, Sinwar split from the other two, the military said.

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How Israel killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas chief believed to be October 7 mastermind

How Israel killed Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas chief believed to be October 7 mastermind