Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander and brother of the group’s late leader Yahya Sinwar, has been killed in an Israeli military strike.
The announcement came during a heated parliamentary debate where Netanyahu responded to growing criticism over the government’s handling of the ongoing war and the fate of Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.
The Israeli military reportedly targeted Sinwar in a large-scale airstrike on 13 May near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. That strike, which Israel said was aimed at Hamas underground facilities, left at least 28 people dead, according to Gaza’s Civil Defence. Hamas has not publicly confirmed Sinwar’s death, and Israeli military spokespeople had been cautious about making definitive statements until now.
Mohammed Sinwar, 49, was a long-time member of Hamas’s military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades. He began his involvement with the group in the late 1980s and rose to become the commander of Hamas’s forces in Khan Younis by 2005. He played a key role in a 2006 cross-border operation in which Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit was captured. That incident led to a major prisoner exchange five years later, which saw the release of more than 1,000 Palestinians, including Yahya Sinwar.
The Israeli government believes Mohammed Sinwar also helped plan the 7 October 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israel’s history, in which about 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage. His brother Yahya Sinwar, seen as the architect of the assault, was killed by Israeli forces in October.
Netanyahu’s statement listing the killing of key Hamas figures, including Mohammed Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, comes amid mounting frustration in Israel over the war’s progress. Critics in the Israeli parliament argue the government has not achieved its stated goals of destroying Hamas and securing the release of all remaining hostages. There are still 58 hostages in Gaza, and their fate remains uncertain.
Despite the reported success in eliminating Hamas leaders, the human toll in Gaza continues to rise. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says over 54,000 people have been killed since the conflict began. The European Hospital, where the 13 May airstrike occurred, is now out of service. CCTV footage captured scenes of civilians walking around the hospital courtyard moments before a blast hit the area, leaving a large crater behind.
Medics say they received no warning ahead of the strike, and the hospital was not under any prior evacuation order. The United Nations has criticized the attack. UN human rights chief Volker Türk said the loss of civilian lives is unacceptable, stressing that international law requires all parties to take measures to protect non-combatants, even when targeting military objectives.
In his remarks to parliament, Netanyahu insisted the war had reshaped the region and reaffirmed his commitment to securing the return of all Israeli hostages. However, the path ahead remains uncertain, with the humanitarian crisis deepening in Gaza and pressure building on all sides for a resolution.