The body will now be DNA-tested to obtain confirmation.
Unverified images of what is claimed to be Sinwar's dead body in the rubble are circulating on social media.
According to the military, three "terrorists" have been killed in Gaza. One of them may be Sinwar, according to reports.
The military claims that no hostages were found in the building where they were killed. Earlier reports had suggested that the Hamas leader would hide among hostages and use them as human shields.
"Has been eliminated"
The Israeli TV channel Keshet 12 reports that forces opened fire on a group of "terrorists" on the building's ground floor. When they then entered the building, they saw that one of the dead "was very similar to Sinwar", writes The Times of Israel.
Israel's army was not aware that Sinwar was in the area when they carried out the attack yesterday, reports Keshet 12.
A high-ranking Israeli official tells Keshet 12 that Sinwar has been "eliminated".
The body is being DNA-tested
Israel's security cabinet has been informed that Sinwar is likely to be dead, say two government officials, writes Reuters.
The body will now be taken for DNA testing, which can take a few hours, according to the TV channel. Sinwar has spent many years in Israeli prisons, so the authorities have his medical data.
At 5 pm (4 pm Swedish time) the body had not yet been transported to Israel, as the entire area is considered heavily mined. The body is also reported to be wearing a military vest with grenades on it.
Succeeded Haniya
The approximately 60-year-old Sinwar – the highest leader of the terrorist-stamped movement in Gaza and hunted by Israel, which sees him as most responsible for the attacks on October 7, 2023 – is believed to have lived in Gaza's underground tunnel system.
Sinwar was appointed as the successor to Ismael Haniya, who was killed in an Israeli attack in July in Iran's capital Tehran. Israel also claims to have killed the leader of Hamas' military branch, Mohammad Dayf, but this is denied by the Palestinian militia.
