Israel says Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar likely dead; body found in tunnel

Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, has said that Mohammed Sinwar, a top Hamas commander and younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, was "likely killed" in an airstrike on Gaza last week.

Speaking during a closed-door meeting with parliamentarians, Katz said, “Based on all indications, Mohammed Sinwar was killed.” The Israeli military had targeted underground infrastructure beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, believing Hamas was operating there, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Reports say Sinwar’s body found in a tunnel

Saudi broadcaster Al-Hadath reported that Sinwar's body was found in a tunnel under Khan Younis, along with the bodies of ten of his aides. The report also claimed that Mohammad Shabana, the commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, may have been killed in the same strike.

However, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not officially confirmed Sinwar’s death.

Palestinian health officials said the strike killed six people and injured more than 40 others.

Sinwar rose after Yahya’s death

Mohammed Sinwar stepped up as a key figure in Gaza after Israel reportedly killed his brother, Yahya Sinwar, last October. Yahya was the mastermind behind the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel that ignited the ongoing war in Gaza.

Mohammed Sinwar, born in Khan Younis in 1975, followed in his brother’s footsteps and joined Hamas in the late 1980s or early 1990s. He was arrested by Israeli forces in 1991 for suspected militant activity and spent less than a year in jail. He was also imprisoned for several years by the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah during the 1990s.

Until now, he was believed to be one of the last top Hamas military commanders still alive inside Gaza.