JERUSALEM:
Israel announced on Wednesday that a recent strike on a hospital in southern Gaza earlier this month killed Mohammad Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza and younger brother of the group’s late leader, Yahya Sinwar.
Mohammad Sinwar was reportedly targeted during an Israeli strike on the hospital on May 21. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated it is likely that Sinwar has been killed, although Hamas has not yet confirmed his death.
In a speech to the Israeli parliament, Netanyahu declared that Sinwar had been “eliminated,” alongside other Hamas officials killed by Israel over the past 20 months, including Sinwar’s brother Yahya.
“In the last two days, we have witnessed a dramatic shift toward the complete defeat of Hamas,” Netanyahu said. He also mentioned Israel’s control over food distribution in Gaza, referring to a new aid system managed by a US-backed organization.
Since breaking a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March, the Israeli military has escalated its operations in Gaza. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters launched an attack on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and capturing more than 250 hostages.
The war has devastated Gaza, with over 53,000 deaths reported by Gazan health officials and more than 2 million Palestinians displaced. According to these officials, the majority of those killed are civilians, including many women and children.
Israel claims to have killed tens of thousands of Palestinian fighters but has not released evidence to support these numbers. On May 26, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said that Hamas had lost significant assets, including its command and control center.
Mohammad Sinwar rose to a leadership position last year after Israel killed his brother Yahya in combat. Yahya Sinwar had been the mastermind behind the October 2023 attack and was appointed overall Hamas leader following the death of Ismail Haniyeh in Iran.
