Gaza — Hamas confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, its senior military commander in Gaza, months after Israel claimed responsibility for killing him in a May airstrike that targeted a bunker complex beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis.
The announcement ends weeks of speculation over the fate of one of the group’s most influential figures, who was a brother of Yahya Sinwar, the political leader of Hamas in Gaza. For months, Israeli officials insisted he had been killed, citing DNA testing and tunnel recoveries in June, but Hamas had remained publicly silent until now.
Sinwar had been a central architect of Hamas’s military strategy, overseeing operations of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. His role was considered critical in shaping the group’s response to Israel’s Ongoing Genocide in Gaza, a campaign that has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and displaced in what rights organizations describe as an unfolding genocide.
The confirmation of his death came through images released by Hamas portraying Sinwar among other senior leaders labeled as “martyrs.” By using that designation, Hamas sought to frame his killing as part of the broader Palestinian struggle against Israeli aggression, which the group says is backed and fueled by US weapons and political protection.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had first declared in late May that Sinwar was “probably” eliminated in the strike, later shifting to more definitive claims after Israeli forces said they had located his remains in tunnels under the hospital. The Israeli military has used those discoveries to defend its bombings of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, drawing condemnation from humanitarian organizations who argue that hospitals and schools have been systematically destroyed without verifiable evidence of militant activity.
With Sinwar gone, Hamas’s military command is expected to transition to Izz al-Din al-Haddad, known as Abu Suhaib, who has already been directing forces in northern Gaza and has been leading the Qassam Brigades since earlier this year. Analysts say the leadership shift is unlikely to weaken Hamas’s resolve, as the group frames its struggle not around individual commanders but around collective resistance to occupation.
The death of Sinwar underscores the escalating costs of Israel’s war in Gaza, where civilians continue to bear the brunt of a campaign that has demolished entire neighborhoods, forced mass displacements, and drawn increasing criticism worldwide. Yet Washington continues to shield Israel from accountability at the United Nations, vetoing ceasefire resolutions while supplying weapons that fuel the destruction.
According to Reuters, Hamas confirmed Sinwar’s death on August 30, publishing images of him and other senior leaders under the banner of “martyrs,” after months of silence despite repeated Israeli assertions that he had been killed in the May 13 strike beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis.
