Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Mohammed Sinwar, a top commander of Hamas in Gaza, has been killed by Israeli forces. Sinwar, 49, was a key figure in the militant group and the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader who was killed last year.
Mohammed Sinwar’s reported death comes after an Israeli airstrike on May 13 near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza. The Israeli military said the strike targeted Hamas’s underground infrastructure, but local officials said 28 people, including civilians, were killed. Hamas has not confirmed or denied his death.
Speaking during a heated debate in the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu said Sinwar was among several top Hamas leaders “eliminated” during Israel’s ongoing war in Gaza. “We entered Gaza with force and eliminated Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Sinwar,” he said.
The Israeli military had previously avoided confirming Mohammed Sinwar’s fate. However, Israeli media reported he was the target of the May 13 attack. Defence Minister Israel Katz later told parliament that all intelligence pointed to Sinwar being killed, although no official confirmation has been made.
Sinwar had long been on Israel’s most-wanted list. He joined Hamas in the 1980s and rose through its military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. By 2005, he was leading the Khan Younis unit and was believed to have played a role in the 2006 capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. He was also suspected of helping plan Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which left about 1,200 Israelis dead and over 250 kidnapped.
That attack triggered a full-scale Israeli military operation in Gaza, which has now lasted over 600 days. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, over 54,000 people have died since the war began, with many more injured or displaced.
The European Hospital, where the May 13 strike took place, has been shut down since the bombing. CCTV footage from the day shows civilians walking in the hospital courtyard moments before the blast. Medics say they were given no warning, and the area had not been included in Israeli evacuation orders.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the strike, calling the loss of civilian lives “tragic and abhorrent”. He urged Israel to respect international laws protecting civilians, even when targeting military sites.
During his speech, Netanyahu also addressed the fate of the remaining hostages held by Hamas. He said 20 are confirmed alive, while up to 38 others are believed to be dead.
Netanyahu added that Israel had made progress in defeating Hamas, citing a recent takeover of food distribution in Gaza through a controversial new aid system backed by the US and Israel, bypassing the UN. Humanitarian agencies have criticised the move, saying it violates global relief protocols.
The situation remains tense, with continued calls for a ceasefire and renewed international concern over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
