Israeli military says it found, identified Hamas Gaza chief Mohammed Sinwar's body in Khan Younis
The Israel defense forces on Sunday said that it had located and identified the body of Hamas Gaza chief, Mohammed Sinwar, in a tunnel beneath the European hospital in Khan Younis.
The development comes weeks after Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Sinwar had been killed in an air strike.
Mohammed Sinwar was elevated to the Palestinian militant group's top rank last year after Israel killed his brother Yahya Sinwar in combat.
Sharing a video of the underground tunnel, the IDF said, "Mohammed Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of countless civilians. He was eliminated in an IDF & ISA strike on May 13. His body was found beneath the European hospital in Khan Yunis - more proof of how Sinwar, and Hamas, hide behind their civilians and purposely embed themselves in civilian areas, such as hospitals. He died the way he lived -- underground."
The Israeli army also posted images of Mohammed Sinwar's Israeli and Hamas documentation, along with his driver's license, to dispel any doubts about his identity.
Army spokesman Brigadier General Effie Defrin told reporters, who the Israeli forces escorted to the site on Sunday, that Sinwar's body was found "underneath the hospital, right under the emergency room, a compound, a few rooms".
He added that "DNA checks and other checks" were done to confirm that the mortal remains were indeed those of Mohammed Sinwar.
"We drove the terrorists out of our territory, entered the Gaza Strip with force, eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists, eliminated Mohammad Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Sinwar," Netanyahu had said while confirming the death to the Israeli parliament.
After the death of his brother, Yahya Sinwar, accused by Israeli forces of being the mastermind behind Hamas's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Mohammed Sinwar took over the military and political command of Hamas in Gaza.
Born on September 15, 1975, Sinwar rarely made any public or media appearances. His family was among the millions of Palestinians who escaped the Nakba, or catastrophe, during the birth of Israel in the 1948 war, and settled in the Gaza Strip.
The Sinwar family settled down in Khan Younis and Mohammed was educated in a school run by the United Nations Palestinian relief agency (UNRWA).
He joined Hamas shortly after the military group's funding was established in 1987 and rose through the ranks of the group's armed wing in Khan Younis. He was also nicknamed "ghost" for surviving multiple assassination attempts by Israeli intelligence.
In 2006, Sinwar was also involved with the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive for five years and later exchanged in a swap with more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. Yahya Sinwar was released among those prisoners.
Hamas sources had told news agency Reuters that Mohammed Sinwar played a key role in the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
31 minutes ago
- Mint
Ukrainian President Zelensky urges Donald Trump to step up, says, ‘Putin does not want to end this war'
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country is ready to agree to a ceasefire — but only if Russian President Vladimir Putin halts aggression too. Zelensky accused Putin of aiming for the 'total defeat' of Ukraine and urged the US to step up efforts to broker peace. Speaking to ABC News, Zelensky expressed Ukraine's willingness to pause hostilities. 'We are ready to lay down our arms without conditions — if Russia will, too,' Zelensky said in the interview. He said Ukraine would even forgo security guarantees from the US, which it has long demanded in lieu of NATO membership, in exchange for a 30-day cessation of hostilities. Zelensky strongly criticised the Russian leader's intentions, comparing the invasion to a massacre. 'We are not kids with Putin at the playground in the park,' Zelensky said. 'This is why I am saying he is a murderer who came to this park to kill the kids.' 'I feel strongly that Putin does not want to finish this war. Inside his mind, it's impossible to end this war without total defeat of Ukraine.' The Ukrainian president insisted that the US holds the key to halting the war. 'I am convinced that the president of the United States has all the powers and enough leverage to step up,' Zelensky told the news outlet. 'Probably people don't realize that,' he added. 'They have to understand that we are under strikes, under attack every day.' He said US President Trump has the global influence to bring European allies together for a unified pressure campaign on the Kremlin. 'They [European leaders] are all looking at President Trump as a leader of the free world … and they are waiting for him,' he said. Zelensky maintained that Putin will only agree to peace if faced with forceful diplomatic and military opposition. 'Only hard pressure from the U.S. and allies can make Putin pragmatic,' he told ABC. 'Then they will stop the war.' He noted that Russia has previously continued bombing even during supposed 'temporary ceasefires.' The interview came just days after Ukraine launched Operation Spiderweb, a bold military strike that reportedly rattled Russian infrastructure. The Kremlin denounced the assault as an 'act of terrorism,' but Zelenskyy dismissed the charge. 'It's a clean and clear military operation,' he said. 'It's a step that showed everyone that we do not want this war. We do not want to fight.' Zelensky emphasised Ukraine's historical familiarity with Russia, implying that Western leaders don't fully grasp Moscow's mindset. 'Trust me, we understand the Russians much better … than the Americans understand the mentality of Russians. We are neighbors for ages,' he said. While the US has conducted bilateral talks with both Ukraine and Russia, and delegations met recently in Istanbul, Zelensky signaled deep skepticism about any genuine Russian interest in peace. 'We don't really know if they will stop this war,' he said. 'We have to prepare such plans, and we are not stopping.'
NDTV
32 minutes ago
- NDTV
"You Better Turn Back": Israel Warns Greta Thunberg On Gaza-Bound Yacht
JERUSALEM: Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told the military on Sunday to stop a charity boat carrying activists, including Sweden's Greta Thunberg, who are planning to defy an Israeli blockade and reach Gaza. Operated by the pro-Palestinian Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), the British-flagged Madleen yacht set sail from Sicily on June 6 and is currently off the Egyptian coast, heading slowly towards the Gaza Strip, which is besieged by Israel. "I instructed the IDF to act so that the Madleen ... does not reach Gaza," Katz said in a statement. "To the antisemitic Greta and her Hamas-propaganda-spouting friends, I say clearly: You'd better turn back, because you will not reach Gaza." Climate activist Thunberg said she joined the Madleen crew to "challenge Israel's illegal siege and escalating war crimes" in Gaza and highlight the urgent need for humanitarian aid. She has rejected previous Israeli accusations of antisemitism. Israel went to war with Hamas in October 2023 after the operatives launched a surprise attack on southern Israel, killing more 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. More than 54,000 Palestinians have died during the ongoing Israeli assault, according to Gaza health authorities, with much of the Palestinian territory reduced to rubble. The UN has warned that most of Gaza's 2.3 million population is at risk of famine. Katz said the blockade was essential to Israel's national security as it seeks to eliminate Hamas. "The State of Israel will not allow anyone to break the naval blockade on Gaza, whose primary purpose is to prevent the transfer of weapons to Hamas," he said. The Madleen is carrying a symbolic quantity of aid, including rice and baby formula, the FFC has said. FFC press officer Hay Sha Wiya said on Sunday the boat was currently some 160 nautical miles (296 km) from Gaza. "We are preparing for the possibility of interception," she said. Besides Thunberg, there are 11 other crew members aboard, including Rima Hassan, a French member of the European Parliament. Israeli media have reported that the military plans to intercept the yacht before it reaches Gaza and escort it to the Israeli port of Ashdod. The crew would then be deported. In 2010, Israeli commandos killed 10 people when they boarded a Turkish ship, the Mavi Marmara, that was leading a small flotilla towards Gaza.
India Gazette
an hour ago
- India Gazette
"Politics, parties, ideologies--restricted to elections; outside we stand united": BJP MP Purandeswari
New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari on Sunday emphasised that despite ideological divides, the Indian delegation stood united on the global stage to address threats to India's territory and civilians from a 'dysfunctional neighbouring country.' The BJP MP, who was part of the all-party delegation led by BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad, recently concluded a six-country tour to garner global support against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism following the April 22 Pahalgam attack and India's subsequent response through Operation Sindoor noted that their political differences were only confined to elections, underscoring the delegation's success in presenting a unified front to the foreign governments and the Indian diaspora. 'Politics, parties, ideologies--these are all restricted to elections. We fight elections based on our ideologies. But when we step outside the country and face a situation where our territory and civilians are under threat from a dysfunctional neighbouring country, we all stand united. I'm happy to say that, despite opposition members being part of the delegation, we all spoke in one voice. Because this is about the safety and security of our nation,' Purandeswari stated. She also noted that the delegation's international tour successfully conveyed India's anti-terrorism stance. 'We went to Paris, Rome, Brussels, London, Copenhagen, and Berlin--6 countries in total. We met government officials, MPs, heads of organisations, a few ministers, and the Indian diaspora. There was a sympathetic reaction to India's encounter with terrorism. People now believe India has been suffering for 6-7 decades due to terrorism. We gave evidence on Pakistan's state-sponsored terrorism--how there's no difference between the govt and terrorist leaders. We explained Operation Sindoor--how India precisely targeted terrorist camps without harming civilians, unlike Pakistan, which targeted civilians, Gurudwaras, and churches in Poonch. We backed this with photographs,' she added. Daggubati Purandeswari was part of the delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, which also includes BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya, Congress MP Amar Singh and Gulam Ali Khatana, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai, former Union Minister MJ Akbar and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. Earlier today, the all-party delegation led by Prasad returned to India following their multi-nation visit in Europe aimed at strengthening India's ties with European partners and to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism. (ANI)
