Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Wednesday that Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas' chief in Gaza and the younger brother of the Palestinian militant group's deceased leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been killed.
Prime Minister Netanyahu confirms from the Knesset stage, "We eliminated Muhammad Sinwar" pic.twitter.com/tmkMxMu1Sw
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Mohammad Sinwar had been the target of an Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza earlier this month, with Netanyahu speculating about his death on May 21.
The Israeli leader announced that Sinwar had been "eliminated" in an address to the Knesset (Israeli parliament), as he listed names of the other Hamas officials that Tel Aviv had killed over the past 20 months. This included Sinwar's brother Yahya, the mastermind behind the October 2023 attack that triggered the Israel-Palestine conflict.
"In the last two days we have been in a dramatic turn towards a complete defeat of Hamas," he said in Hebrew, adding that Israel was also "taking control of food distribution", a reference to a new aid distribution system in Gaza managed by a US-backed group.
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Hamas has yet to confirm Sinwar's death.
Sinwar had been elevated to the top ranks of the Palestinian militant group last year after Israel killed his brother Yahya in combat, a Reuters report said.
Netanyahu's announcement comes as the Israeli military intensified its war campaign in Gaza after breaking a fragile ceasefire with Hamas in March. Israel has stated that it aimed to dismantle Hamas' governing and military capabilities and secure the release of its hostages still held in Gaza.
Gazan health officials have said most of those killed have been civilians but have not said how many militants have died. On the other hand, Israel believes it has killed tens of thousands of militants, including numerous Hamas assets, but has not provided any evidence to support those claims.
