Israel investigates whether Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Thursday it is investigating the possibility that one of three militants killed by troops in Gaza was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

“At this time, the identity of the militants cannot be confirmed,” the IDF said in a statement, News.Az reports, citing Israeli media.

The army noted that there were no hostages present in the area where the three militants were killed. There had been reports that Sinwar had been hiding among hostages, using them as human shields.

"The IDF and Shin Bet forces operating in the area continue to operate under the necessary caution,” the army added.

The IDF issued its statement after rumors relating to the incident began spreading widely online.

Channel 12 reports that troops opened fire yesterday on a group of militants on the ground floor of a building. When they subsequently entered the building, they realized that one of the dead militants “looked very much like” Sinwar.

News.Az