Hamas late Saturday confirmed the death of its Gaza military chief Mohammed Sinwar a few months after Israel said it killed him in a strike in May.
Hamas did not provide details on Sinwar's death but published pictures of him along with other group leaders, describing them as "martyrs."
Israel's assassination of Mohammed Sinwar
According to the IDF, Sinwar was killed in mid-May in a joint IDF–Shin Bet strike on an underground command and control compound beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. His brother Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ top leader who co-masterminded the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, was killed by Israeli troops in October 2024. He was elevated to the top ranks of the group after the death of the brother.
His confirmed death would leave his close associate Izz al-Din Haddad, who currently oversees operations in northern Gaza, in charge of Hamas' armed wing across the whole of the enclave.
The announcement came as Hamas also released previously unseen footage of Mohammed Deif, the longtime commander of its military wing, who was killed in July last year.
Meanwhile, Israel on Saturday said its forces attempted to target another high-profile Hamas figure, Abu Obaida, the masked spokesman for the group’s military wing, in a strike in Gaza City.
“A short while ago, the IDF and ISA struck a key Hamas terrorist in the area of Gaza City in the northern Gaza Strip,” the army and Shin Bet said in a joint statement, without naming the target.
Hamas claimed the attack killed dozens and injured many more, calling it an escalation of “genocide” and an effort to sow fear and force residents to flee Gaza City. Hamas-run Al-Aqsa TV reported at least 10 people killed and “many wounded” taken to Shifa Hospital.
The IDF has attempted to assassinate Abu Obaida several times. In May, officials said they believed he may have been alongside Mohammed Sinwar during the strike in Khan Younis that killed him.