Following the autopsy conducted by Dr. Chen Kugel, the chief pathologist at Israel’s National Center of Forensic Medicine in Tel Aviv, it has been confirmed that Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader, was killed by a gunshot wound to the head. Dr. Kugel stated that despite other serious injuries sustained by Sinwar, including from a tank shell or missile, the fatal blow was the bullet to the head.
The Israeli military had initially reported that Sinwar was killed after a tank fired a shell into the building where he was located, without mentioning any involvement of their troops in firing a fatal gunshot.
Dr. Kugel, who signed Sinwar’s death certificate, emphasized that the cause of death was unequivocally the gunshot wound in the head, resulting in severe traumatic brain injury. He expressed confidence in his analysis, which was solely based on examining Sinwar’s body and not influenced by the Israeli military’s account of the incident.
While Sinwar had suffered injuries from other sources, such as a missile injury in his right forearm, fallen masonry on his left leg, and multiple shrapnel wounds in his chest, Dr. Kugel reiterated that the gunshot wound was the primary cause of death.
Regarding the timing of Sinwar’s death, Dr. Kugel estimated it to be late afternoon on Wednesday, more than 24 hours before his body was brought to the institute on Thursday night for the autopsy.
The Israeli military, in response to Dr. Kugel’s findings, mentioned an exchange of gunfire during the combat, culminating in the firing of a tank shell at the building. They stated that they are still investigating the details of the event.
