CNN "Sinwar's direct cause of death is head gunshot wound...You're going to get serious brain damage."

The direct cause of death of militant Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, is a head gunshot wound, CNN reported.

Dr. Chen Kugel, the chief pathologist at the National Forensic Service in Israel who performed the autopsy on the body, told CNN that Sinwar also suffered serious injuries from shells and missiles, but he was certain the head gunshot wound was the cause of death.

"The cause of death is a gunshot wound to the head, and Sinwar was shot in the head and suffered severe traumatic brain damage," Dr Kugel explained.

Dr. Kugel estimated Sinwar's death time at late afternoon local time on the 16th.

Earlier, the Israeli military said it had killed three Hamas members in southern Gaza and had examined the bodies to confirm the death of Sinwar.

At the time, Sinwar's bodyguard was also killed by Israeli forces, CNN said, citing Hamas and Israeli forces.