Israel Kills Hamas Leader After Randomly Running Into Him in Gaza

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on Thursday that they were investigating the possibility that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in a recent operation in the Gaza Strip. Israeli media later confirmed that he was dead.

The military apparently ran into him while in Gaza and was not on a direct mission to target him.

The official X account of the Israeli government said that "three terrorists were eliminated" during IDF operations and that authorities are "checking the possibility" that Sinwar was one of them.

"At this stage, the identity of the terrorists cannot be confirmed. In the building where the terrorists were eliminated, there were no signs of the presence of hostages in the area. The forces that are operating in the area are continuing to operate with the required caution. More details to follow," the post adds.

Sinwar was both the political and military leader of Hamas after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran in July. The IDF and the Shin Bet intelligence agency said the incident took place on Wednesday night when, during a routine patrol, IDF soldiers encountered three armed men and killed them after exchanging fire. The encounter was incidental and not based on intelligence.

This story originally appeared on Latin Times