logo
Hamas military chief Sinwar's body found in tunnel under Gaza hospital

Hamas military chief Sinwar's body found in tunnel under Gaza hospital

Khaleej Times2 days ago

The Israeli army said on Sunday it had retrieved the body of Hamas' military chief Mohammed Sinwar in an underground tunnel beneath a hospital in southern Gaza, following a targeted operation last month.
Another senior Hamas leader, Mohammad Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, was also found dead at the scene along with a number of other militants, who are still being identified, said IDF spokesperson, Brigadier General Effie Defrin.
Israeli forces gave a small group of foreign reporters a tour of the tunnel that had been uncovered beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, which Defrin said was a major command and control compound for Hamas.
"This is another example of the cynical use by Hamas, using civilians as human shields, using civilian infrastructure, hospitals, again and again," said Defrin.
"We found underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, a compound of a few rooms. In one of them we found, we killed Mohammed Sinwar," he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sinwar's death last month, but Defrin said they now had his DNA which proved beyond doubt it was him.
Hamas has not commented on reports of the death of either Sinwar or Shabana.
Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the Palestinian group's deceased leader and mastermind of the October 2023 attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people according to Israeli tallies, and which triggered the brutal Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Shabana was one of Hamas's most senior and battle-hardened commanders in southern Gaza. He played a central role in constructing the network of tunnels under the southern city of Rafah, which were used for ambushes and cross-border raids.
Destruction
The drive to Khan Younis in Israeli military vehicles showed widespread devastation, with countless buildings lying in ruins, and piles of rubble collected at the roadside.
The Israeli military has raided or besieged numerous hospitals during the war, alleging that Hamas uses them to conceal fighters and orchestrate operations — a charge Hamas has repeatedly denied. While Israel has presented evidence in certain cases, some of its assertions remain unverified.
Defrin said the army had carefully planned the strike near the European Hospital in order not to damage it.
A large trench dug infront of the Emergency Room entrance led down to a hole in the claustrophobic, concrete tunnel, that was used as a hideaway by Hamas fighters, the army said.
During the search of the site, Israeli forces recovered weapon stockpiles, ammunition, cash and documents that are now being reviewed for intelligence value.
"We will dismantle Hamas because we cannot live with this terror organisation right in our backyard, right across our border," Defrin said.
More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli attacks, according to Gaza health authorities. The UN has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Highest number of conflicts worldwide in 2024 since 1946: Study
Highest number of conflicts worldwide in 2024 since 1946: Study

Khaleej Times

time31 minutes ago

  • Khaleej Times

Highest number of conflicts worldwide in 2024 since 1946: Study

The world saw the highest number of armed conflicts in almost 80 years in 2024, dethroning 2023 as a record year, a Norwegian study published Wednesday showed, highlighting the risks linked to a US disengagement. Last year, 61 conflicts were registered in the world across 36 countries, with some countries experiencing several simultaneous conflicts, the report by the Peace Research Institute of Oslo (Prio) said. In 2023, there were 59 conflicts in 34 countries. "This is not just a spike -- it's a structural shift," said Siri Aas Rustad, the main author of the report which covers trends in armed conflicts in the period 1946-2024. "The world today is far more violent, and far more fragmented, than it was a decade ago," she said. Africa remained the most ravaged continent, with 28 conflicts involving at least one state, followed by Asia with 17, the Middle East with 10, Europe with three and the Americas with two. More than half of these countries experienced two or more conflicts. The number of deaths resulting from fighting remained around the same level as in 2023, at about 129,000, making 2024 the fourth-deadliest year since the end of the Cold War in 1989, the study said. The death toll was led by the wars in Ukraine and the Gaza Strip, as well as clashes in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. "Now is not the time for the United States -– or any global power -– to retreat from international engagement," Rustad said. "Isolationism in the face of rising global violence would be a profound mistake with long-term human life consequences," she said, a reference to US President Donald Trump's "America First" campaign. "It is a mistake to assume the world can look away. Whether under President Trump or any future administration, abandoning global solidarity now would mean walking away from the very stability the US helped build after 1945," she said. The study is based on data compiled by Sweden's Uppsala University.

Bezalel Smotrich blocks Israeli and Palestinian banks from working together
Bezalel Smotrich blocks Israeli and Palestinian banks from working together

The National

timean hour ago

  • The National

Bezalel Smotrich blocks Israeli and Palestinian banks from working together

Israel's Finance Minister has cancelled a waiver allowing Israeli banks to work with Palestinian counterparts in a move that could paralyse the Palestinian economy. It comes hours after the UK and other countries imposed sanctions on him and another hard-line minister. Bezalel Smotrich had threatened in May last year to cut the vital connection between Israel and Palestinian banks in the occupied West Bank in retaliation for the recognition of the State of Palestine by three European countries. A statement issued by the Israeli Finance Minister's office on Wednesday read: "Against the backdrop of the Palestinian Authority's delegitimisation campaign against the State of Israel internationally, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has instructed Accountant General CPA Yali Rothenberg to cancel the indemnity provided to correspondent banks dealing with banks operating in Palestinian Authority territories." The Palestinian financial and banking system is dependent on the regular renewal of the waiver. It protects Israeli banks from potential legal action relating to transactions with their Palestinian counterparts, for instance in relation to financing terrorism. The move comes after the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Norway announced sanctions on Mr Smotrich and Israeli Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir over links to "extremist violence and serious abuses of Palestinian human rights", the countries said in a joint statement. This is not the first time Mr Smotrich has sought to punish Palestinians for international condemnation of Israel's occupation and actions. After Norway, Ireland, Spain, Armenia and Slovenia announced their recognition of a Palestinian state last year, the minister announced Israel would recognise five illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, a territory he has repeatedly called for his country to annex. In July, G7 countries urged Israel to "take necessary action" to ensure the continuity of Palestinian financial systems. It came after US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned that "to cut Palestinian banks from Israeli counterparts would create a humanitarian crisis". The overwhelming majority of financial exchanges in the West Bank are in shekels, Israel's national currency, because the Palestinian Authority does not have a central bank under which it could print its own currency. But Israeli banks were continuing to work with Palestinian branches because of the waiver. The UN has warned that 'unilaterally cutting off Palestinian banks from the global banking system would be a violation of the fundamental principles of international law'. This pressure had until now pushed the Israeli government to continue agreeing to short extensions of the waiver, but far-right ministers such as Mr Smotrich and Mr Ben-Gvir have long objected.

Hamas killed 50 members of Gaza gang armed by Israel, militia says
Hamas killed 50 members of Gaza gang armed by Israel, militia says

Middle East Eye

timean hour ago

  • Middle East Eye

Hamas killed 50 members of Gaza gang armed by Israel, militia says

Hamas has killed at least 50 members of a Palestinian gang in Gaza armed by Israel, according to a statement by the militia group. The gang, which is helmed by Yasser Abu Shabab, a clan leader known for criminal activity, said in a press statement that Hamas killed 'over 50 of our volunteers' while they 'guarded aid convoys and redistributed supplies that were otherwise destined for corrupt entities linked to Hamas'. The announcement comes amid Israeli news reports this week of Israeli soldiers intervening in clashes between Hamas fighters and members of the militia group in order to protect Abu Shabab. Israeli news channel i24 reported that an Israeli drone strike targeted Hamas fighters while they were clashing with members of Abu Shabab's militia, describing it as 'the first Israeli strike on Gaza whose sole objective was to assist the Abu Shabab militia'. Meanwhile, Israeli news outlet Ynet reported that Abu Shabab's militia had killed six members of Hamas' 'Arrow' unit, which is responsible for targeting collaborators with Israel. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted to arming powerful local clans in Gaza, which aid groups have accused of stealing humanitarian aid, in a bid to counter Hamas. The admission came after defence officials quoted in Israeli media said Netanyahu had authorised the transfer of Kalashnikov assault rifles to Abu Shabab's gang. Abu Shabab, who was imprisoned by Hamas on drug trafficking charges, managed to flee prison with the outbreak of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. His militia, which operates in southern Gaza, is believed to consist of around 100 men. Hamas officials told Reuters that Abu Shabab was wanted for 'collaborating with the occupation against his people'. The officials said Hamas fighters had killed at least two dozen of Abu Shabab's men before January, after they allegedly looted aid trucks.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store