JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday that Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas’ Gaza chief and the younger brother of the group’s slain leader Yahya Sinwar, has been killed.
Mohammad Sinwar was reportedly the target of an Israeli strike earlier this month on a hospital in southern Gaza. On May 21, Netanyahu suggested it was likely that Sinwar had died in the attack. He confirmed Sinwar’s death in a speech to the Israeli parliament, during which he listed several Hamas officials who had been killed by Israeli forces over the past 20 months, including Yahya Sinwar.
“In the last two days we have seen a dramatic shift toward the complete defeat of Hamas,” Netanyahu stated. He also said Israel was “taking control of food distribution” in Gaza, referring to a new aid delivery system managed by a U.S.-backed organization.
Netanyahu’s announcement came amid a renewed and intensified Israeli military offensive in Gaza, following the breakdown of a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March. Israel has said its goals are to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing infrastructure and to secure the release of hostages still held in Gaza.
The genocide, which began on October 7, 2023, has had devastating consequences for the Gaza Strip. According to health authorities in Gaza, over 53,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million displaced. Gazan officials report that most of the dead are civilians. Israel maintains that it has killed tens of thousands of Hamas fighters, though it has not publicly provided evidence to substantiate that figure.
On May 26, Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir said Hamas had lost significant capabilities, including its command and control center.
Mohammad Sinwar rose to a senior leadership position within Hamas last year, following the death of his brother Yahya in an Israeli operation.
