WATCH LIVE: Pentagon holds briefing as Israel says they killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — The Israeli military said Thursday it was looking into whether Hamas’ top leader Yahya Sinwar was killed in a military operation in Gaza. Authorities were conducting DNA tests on a body to determine if it is him, an Israeli security official said.
Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder will hold a news briefing at 1:45 p.m. EDT. Watch in the player above.
The military said in a statement that three militants were killed during operations in Gaza, without specifying where or elaborating further. It said the identities of the three were so far not confirmed, but it was “checking the possibility” that one of them was Sinwar.
The security official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation, said the tests on the body had not yet confirmed if it was Sinwar’s.
There was no immediate comment by Hamas on the report.
Sinwar was one of the chief architects of Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel has vowed to kill him since the beginning of its retaliatory campaign in Gaza. If confirmed, Sinwar’s death could be a heavy blow to the militant group. He has been Hamas’ top leader inside the Gaza Strip for years, closely connected to its military wing while dramatically building up its capabilities.
Another Israeli security official said it appeared that the man who may be Sinwar was killed in a battle, not in a planned targeted airstrike.
Photos circulating online showed the body of a man resembling Sinwar with a gaping head wound, dressed in a military-style vest, half buried in the rubble of a destroyed building. The security official confirmed the photos were taken by Israeli security officials at the scene. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation.
Israeli authorities said the police, military, and Shin Bet security services were working to confirm identification through a number of different tests. So far, police have checked dental records, a police spokesperson said. They are still awaiting the full test results from DNA testing.