Hamas leader Yahya Shinwar was killed by a bullet wound to the head, the New York Times reports, citing the medical examiner who headed the autopsy in Israel.

Sinwar was found seriously injured in a random Israeli operation on Wednesday in the Tell al-Sultan area of ​​Rafah by a drone inside a damaged building. Then, after his death, in order to identify him, the Israeli authorities proceeded with a DNA test after first cutting off the finger from the body.

The leader of the Palestinian militant group was initially wounded in the right forearm during an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers, director of the Israel Institute of Medical Forensics Chen Kugel, who oversaw the autopsy and released his findings to the newspaper, told the New York Times.

After his injury, the Hamas leader wrapped an electric wire around his arm, “but that wouldn’t have been enough anyway (…) It wasn’t stable enough and his forearm had disintegrated,” the coroner told the NYT.

Wounded, Sinuar was later killed by a bullet to the head, according to Dr. Kugel.

It is unknown who gave Sinuar the free kick

But many dark spots remain, according to the American newspaper, especially regarding her exact moment of the fatal shooting, the weapon which was also used who shot.

According to Israeli military spokesman Daniel Haggari, Israeli forces have been operating “in recent weeks” inside the Tel al-Sultan neighborhood of Rafah, following information about the possible presence there of high-ranking Hamas officials.

“Yahia Sinuar was hiding in areas we had already inspected,” but “we didn’t know he was there,” according to Rear Admiral Hagari.

On Wednesday, soldiers spotted “three terrorists who were moving from house to house” and there was an exchange of fire.

“Sinuar then rushed alone into a building” and “was wounded in one arm by gunfire,” according to Hagari.

The Israeli military said the Hamas leader had a pistol and 40,000 shekels (about $10,000) on him.