JERUSALEM, Israel – Israel has confirmed the killing of Mohammad Sinwar, a top Hamas commander in Gaza and younger brother of the group’s notorious former leader Yahya Sinwar, in a targeted airstrike earlier this month.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made the announcement Wednesday during a parliamentary address, saying the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had eliminated “The Shadow”—a nickname earned by Sinwar for his elusive operational style.
Sinwar was considered one of Hamas’s most senior military figures and a key strategist behind the October 7 attacks on southern Israel.
He rose to prominence after assuming command from Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in a previous Israeli strike in late 2024.
“Alongside the Rafah and Morag crossings, we have eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists—Mohammad Deif, Hassan Nasrallah, Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Sinwar,” Netanyahu told lawmakers. “We are executing a dramatic plan toward the complete defeat of Hamas.”
Netanyahu: “We eliminated Mohammad Sinwar”
The Israeli military reportedly used bunker-busting munitions in a strike on May 13 that targeted what it identified as a Hamas command center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
The IDF said the operation aimed to neutralize senior leadership and block escape routes from underground tunnels.
The death of Mohammad Sinwar was initially suspected but not confirmed until now.
According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Sinwar’s body was later discovered in a tunnel near the strike zone.
While Hamas has not officially confirmed the death, the killing—if verified—marks a significant blow to the group’s command structure.
Sinwar had taken over as Gaza’s de facto Hamas leader after the deaths of both Deif and his brother Yahya, and was believed to wield considerable influence in ongoing hostage negotiations with Israel.
Sinwar’s operational legacy stretches back nearly two decades.
He was allegedly involved in the 2006 abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, an incident that led to a controversial prisoner swap resulting in Yahya Sinwar’s release.
His death adds to growing speculation of a looming leadership vacuum within Hamas.
Analysts warn of possible infighting between the group’s military and political wings, especially as the war in Gaza stretches past its seventh month.
As of now, Israel estimates that 58 hostages remain in Gaza, with around 21 believed to be alive.
Israeli officials had previously named Mohammad Sinwar and another senior commander, Izz al-Din Haddad, as central to any potential release agreements.
The Israeli strike that reportedly killed Sinwar also injured at least 40 others, according to Hamas sources.
Humanitarian organizations raised concerns about ongoing military activity near medical facilities, though Israel maintains that such sites are frequently used by Hamas as shields for military operations.
Sinwar, believed to be around 50 years old, operated largely behind the scenes and maintained close ties to Deif, the now-deceased head of Hamas’s armed wing.
His death may now set off a high-stakes struggle for control of the fractured group.
