Hamas officially confirmed on Saturday the death of its top Gaza military commander, Mohammad Sinwar, months after Israel claimed he was killed in a May airstrike. The confirmation ends weeks of speculation about Sinwar’s fate following Israel’s high-profile strike on a Hamas stronghold.
Hamas Acknowledges Sinwar as a “Martyr”
The Palestinian militant group shared photographs of Mohammad Sinwar alongside other leaders, referring to them as “martyrs.” However, Hamas did not disclose details about when or how Sinwar died. This announcement marks the first time Hamas has publicly acknowledged the death of its key commander.
Who Was Mohammad Sinwar?
Mohammad Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s former leader who was considered a key architect of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel. After Yahya’s death in combat last year, Mohammad Sinwar assumed the role of Hamas’s de facto military chief in Gaza.
Israel’s Strike and Netanyahu’s Statement
Israel claimed in May that Sinwar was killed during a major strike targeting Hamas’s command centre hidden beneath the European Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reportedly deployed bunker-busting bombs to destroy the underground facility and block escape routes.
At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sinwar’s death in parliament, stating:
“We eliminated Mohammad Sinwar,” while also listing other prominent figures such as Mohammad Deif, Hassan Nasrallah, and Yahya Sinwar.
Netanyahu added: “We’ve been executing a dramatic plan toward the complete defeat of Hamas. We’re taking control of their food distribution and money machine. This is what destroys their governing capabilities.”
Impact on Hamas Leadership
Military experts suggest Sinwar’s death is a major blow to Hamas. Colonel Richard Kemp, a former British Army officer, called the development “very significant,” explaining that Sinwar’s elimination leaves the group without a clear successor.
“There is no obvious successor for Mohammad Sinwar now,” Kemp noted. “So it may be that what we could see is some kind of a power struggle inside Hamas in Gaza. And perhaps even more significantly, a power struggle between the Hamas leadership in Gaza and the higher-level leadership in Qatar.”
