Israel Says Hamas Chief Found Dead in Tunnel; Here's How Mohammed Sinwar Was Hunted Down
New Delhi: Israel has confirmed the death of Hamas chief Mohammed Sinwar, the elusive younger brother of Yahya Sinwar. His body was found under the rubble of a tunnel beneath Gaza's European Hospital in Khan Younis two weeks after a deadly airstrike targeted the site.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on June 8 that the body was positively identified after forensic verification.
Mohammed Sinwar was believed to be one of Hamas's last key surviving field leaders, who was operating in coordination with two other feared such persons as his brother Yahya Sinwar and the group's military mastermind Mohammad Deif. Both were also declared killed by Israel in recent operations.
The May 13 strike that killed Mohammed Sinwar had targeted what the IDF described as an underground 'command-and-control centre' beneath the hospital.
The attack followed a major development: Hamas had released Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander just one day earlier. Now, speculation is growing that Sinwar's presence at the hospital may have been connected to internal strategic shifts within Hamas.
The airstrike itself was devastating. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 28 Palestinians were killed and more than 50 wounded. But the strategic prize for Israel came only later, after days of uncertainty, when Sinwar's body was recovered and confirmed.
On the 600th day of the war, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the floor at the Knesset and did not hold back. In a speech, he declared, 'We changed the face of the Middle East. We entered Gaza with force. We eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists. And we eliminated Mohammad Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and now, Mohammed Sinwar.'
This moment marks a symbolic victory for Israel's ongoing operation to decapitate Hamas's top command.
Yahya Sinwar, once the face of Hamas's political strategy, was confirmed killed in October during a southern Gaza raid.
Mohammad Deif, the ghost-like military chief of Hamas's Qassam Brigades, was reportedly taken out in a precision strike, though Hamas has yet to acknowledge his death officially.
With all three figures now believed dead, military analysts say Hamas is facing its most serious leadership vacuum since its rise in Gaza.
Israeli officials caution that the organisation still has deep reserves, both in terms of manpower and ideology.
Mohammed Sinwar's legacy was one of secrecy, tunnels and brutal tactics. His end, like his rise, happened underground. And in Gaza, where shadows still move beneath crumbling streets, the war is far from over.
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