Graphic photos show Hamas leader and Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar lying lifeless in a pile of rubble after he was killed in a routine raid that caught him by chance and surprised soldiers.
Sinwar, the architect of the single deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust, was among three militants killed Wednesday during a military operation in southern Gaza caught on dramatic video.
The slain terrorist can be seen in photos from the aftermath “wearing a vest carrying grenades,” as well as a wristwatch that is commonly used by Hamas fighters, according to Israeli media.
The soldiers also found cash, ID cards, Mentos and other belongings on Sinwar’s person.
Meanwhile, drone footage from the operation that killed Sinwar appears to show the terror chief’s final moments as he sat injured following a preliminary strike on the buildings, according to Israeli media.
The man believed to be Sinwar, who had his face covered, hurled an object at the drone spying on him in a last-ditch effort to hide his whereabouts.
At that point, the IDF troops fired a second round at the building, killing the terrorist.
After recovering the body and comparing it to the DNA samples the Israeli military had of Sinwar from his time as a prisoner, officials confirmed that the man killed in the strike was the terror chief.
President Biden has been kept in the loop about the investigation into Sinwar’s alleged death while en route to Berlin, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters.
Hamas has yet to confirm or deny reports on Sinwar’s death, simply writing on Telegram for people to be wary of “fake news” and to stick to the terror group’s official statements on social media.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that there were no signs that any hostages were injured in the blast that killed the three terrorists on Thursday.
Previous intelligence suggested Sinwar was hiding in Hamas’ tunnel system somewhere in southern Gaza surrounded by hostages to use as human shields.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant appeared to celebrate SInwar’s alleged death on X, featuring a silhouette of the terror leader with an X across his face beside photos of other slain Hamas leaders.
Quoting Leviticus 26, Gallant wrote: “You will pursue your enemies and they will fall before you by the sword.”
“Our enemies cannot hide. We will pursue and eliminate them,” Gallant added.