Sinwar, 61, was among the three suspected militants killed by Israeli forces in southern Gaza on October 16. However, the troops were only suspecting one of the men to be Sinwar, and confirmed his death only after DNA testing and use of his medical records.

After a career in the shadows, spent in Israeli prisons and the internal security apparatus of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar emerged as the leader of the Palestinian group after igniting a war that has engulfed the region.

The head of the U.S-designated terrorist organization spent two decades in Israeli prisons before emerging to assemble a powerful militia dedicated to toppling it.