Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday announced that Mohammad Sinwar, the top Hamas commander in Gaza and brother of slain leader Yahya Sinwar, has been killed by Israeli forces.
The confirmation ends weeks of speculation following Israeli airstrikes earlier this month in southern Gaza.
“We eliminated Mohammad Sinwar,” Netanyahu told the Israeli parliament, as reported by AFP.
Sinwar’s death marks a major blow to the Hamas leadership, especially its Gaza command. His brother Yahya Sinwar, a longstanding Hamas figure, was killed by Israeli forces in 2024. Mohammad Sinwar, described by Israeli officials as “the shadow” due to his elusive operations, had since taken over both the political and military leadership of Hamas in Gaza.
Born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza, Sinwar was a longtime Hamas operative. His involvement in militancy dates back to the early 1990s. He officially joined Hamas’s military wing in 1991 and climbed the ranks through decades of underground activity.
Sinwar gained notoriety for his role in the 2006 abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, an event that led to a landmark prisoner exchange in 2011. He spent considerable time in Israeli and Palestinian prisons, which reportedly helped him forge closer ties with senior Hamas leadership.
He was widely seen as the mastermind of the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, which triggered one of the most intense military escalations in the region’s history.
Israel has made multiple assassination attempts on Sinwar in the past. In 2014, Hamas had falsely announced his death during the Israel-Gaza conflict. This time, however, both Israeli media and military intelligence confirmed the successful operation.
Sinwar’s killing is expected to further destabilize Hamas’s chain of command in Gaza, though experts warn that retaliatory strikes or escalations from other regional militant groups may follow.
While Israeli officials are hailing the operation as a significant tactical win, analysts note that Hamas’s decentralized leadership structure means the group could recover operational capability despite the loss.
The development comes amid continuing international efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire in the region, with tensions still high and Gaza facing a severe humanitarian crisis.
As of now, Hamas has not officially responded to the announcement.
