Israeli media reported on Saturday that Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of Yahya Sinwar the former leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip was killed in an Israeli military operation. His body was reportedly recovered by Israeli forces operating inside the enclave.
According to the reports, Mohammed Sinwar was a prominent member of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. He is believed to have played a key role in the group's military operations, including the large-scale assault launched on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent defense efforts against Israel's ground and air invasion of Gaza.
Photographs published by Israeli media outlets appear to show Sinwar’s personal identification documents, including a driving license, a national ID card, and a military card indicating his affiliation with the Hamas military wing.
The Israeli military has claimed that Mohammed Sinwar was hiding in a tunnel complex located beneath the European Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. According to statements released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Sinwar was killed in a targeted strike that allegedly involved the use of a bunker-buster bomb designed to penetrate underground infrastructure.
The strike reportedly hit a tunnel entrance situated near the hospital, a site where the IDF had previously denied conducting military operations. In a shift from earlier statements, the military later released a video purporting to show Israeli soldiers recovering a body from the area. The footage depicted troops dragging a corpse , which the IDF claimed was the body of Mohammed Sinwar.