The death of Yahya Sinwar, the top political leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, has shifted the dynamics of the Gaza conflict. Despite Israel’s heavy efforts to capture the Hamas leader, recent reports reveal that an Israeli training unit killed him.
On Thursday, Israeli military officials confirmed that a routine patrol unit in Rafah, a southern city in Gaza, encountered Hamas fighters. Supported by drones, the Israeli unit engaged the militants in a battle that led to the collapse of a building where the militants were hiding. Among the three fighters killed, one body was identified as Sinwar’s.
The Israeli soldiers notified their commander, and DNA tests later confirmed the identity. According to CNN, dental records helped verify Sinwar’s identity quickly, as Israeli authorities had his biometric data from the 20 years he spent in prison for murder.
Sinwar’s location surprised both Israeli and U.S. intelligence, who believed he would be hiding deep underground, possibly with Israeli hostages, to avoid assassination risks. The New York Times reported that the area was littered with explosives, and Israeli forces recovered weapons and cash alongside the militants.
The Guardian reported that the Israeli soldiers only realized they had captured Sinwar after closely examining his face and identifying him. His death appeared to be the result of chance rather than a meticulously planned operation.
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