Israel says it killed Mohammed Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - Israel said it killed the top commander of Hamas in Gaza, confirming reports from earlier this month.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament Wednesday that Mohammed Sinwar - the brother and successor of deceased Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar - was among senior members of the Iran-backed group killed in recent Israeli military strikes. Hamas didn't confirm the death.
Mohammed Sinwar, a longstanding Hamas operative, had assumed the top combat role in the Palestinian militant group after his brother Yahya - the mastermind of the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on Israel that triggered the war - was killed by Israeli forces in October. Mohammed was considered a hard-liner regarding talks on a ceasefire with Israel and release of hostages.
The confirmation comes as negotiations for a truce continue. Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the United States and many other countries, released a statement Wednesday saying it had agreed, in broad terms, to a proposal from Steve Witkoff, U.S. President Donald Trump's main Middle East envoy.
The prospects of a deal being reached remain unclear. While Hamas said it would agree to free 10 hostages in return for the release of Palestinians jailed in Israel, it did not state it would lay down arms and send remaining leaders into exile - conditions Israel has insisted on for any agreement.
Israel and the U.S. didn't immediately react to the statement posted on Hamas' official telegram channel.
Earlier this month, Sinwar was targeted by a May 13 military strike in the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis. At the time, an Israeli official suggested Sinwar's elimination could help talks.
"I reckon that this will make it easier to get a deal," Security Cabinet Minister Zev Elkin said when asked on Army Radio what impact the then-unconfirmed death would have. "It's no secret that Mohammed Sinwar was the most problematic factor in these entire negotiations, going back a long time."
Sinwar's senior deputy, Izz al-Din al-Haddad, is his likely successor. Haddad commands Hamas in Gaza City and other northern areas.
The war began after thousands of Hamas operatives crossed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and abducting 250 others. More than 53,000 Palestinians have been killed in the ensuing war, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry. Israel has lost more than 400 troops in Gaza combat.
Meanwhile, a foundation backed by Israel and the U.S. to hand out aid in Gaza said it's operating for a second day, and denied reports of deaths when Palestinians overran a distribution site Tuesday. Israel had blocked aid from entering the territory after a ceasefire expired in March.
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