OREANDA-NEWS  The soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), who eliminated the leader of the Palestinian radical Hamas movement Yahya Sinwar, did not expect to meet with him. This is reported by The New York Times (NYT) with reference to Israeli officials.

"The soldiers who unexpectedly encountered Sinvar on Wednesday were part of a group trained to be squad commanders," the NYT emphasizes.

The publication became aware of the unexpected circumstances of the liquidation of the head of Hamas on the evening of October 17. A group of IDF soldiers reportedly patrolled the territory in the southern Gaza Strip and clashed with Palestinian militants.

The Israeli military identified Sinwar only after a shootout and a strike on a building with entrenched Hamas fighters. According to the newspaper's sources, the Hamas leader was eliminated with two other militants, there were no signs of hostages nearby. Money and weapons were also found.

Earlier, the IDF published footage from a UAV with the last minutes of Sinwar's life. The Hamas leader made an attempt to wave off the drone with an object resembling a stick.