Rafah, Gaza - The Israeli army released drone footage seemingly showing Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar making his last stand before being killed in a firefight in Gaza.

The short video, recorded by a drone, shows a man identified as Sinwar, cloaked in dust and a keffiyeh, sitting in an armchair in a bombed-out building. His right arm is bleeding and missing its hand.

He keeps his eyes fixed on the drone, before flinging a piece of wood in its direction as it hovers closer.

The Israeli military said that Sinwar was killed in Rafah shortly after the footage was taken. Reports said soldiers had engaged in a firefight with the Hamas veteran and several other fighters.

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Despite being shot at by a tank and a missile, Sinwar reportedly survived until he was taken out by a sniper. His identity was subsequently confirmed through dental records and fingerprints.

In contrast to Israeli claims that the 61-year-old had been surrounding himself with hostages taken during the October 7 attack, using them as human shields, the Israeli army confirmed there were no prisoners in the vicinity of the incident.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, gloated over Sinwar's death and promised to continue the war on Gaza, where over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to the most conservative estimate. The siege of the strip's northern areas continued on Friday, as did the bombing of civilians and policy of intentional starvation.

Hamas, meanwhile, confirmed Sinwar's death in a defiant statement.

"Hamas is a liberation movement led by people looking for freedom and dignity," it said, "and this cannot be eliminated."