Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed on Wednesday during a speech in the Knesset Plenum that Israel had killed senior Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar earlier this month. "We eliminated Mohammad Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar," Netanyahu said.
"In the last two days we have been in a dramatic turn towards a complete defeat of Hamas," he said, adding that Israel was also "taking control of food distribution," a reference to a new aid distribution system in Gaza managed by a U.S.-backed group.
Sinwar, the terror group's top military leader and younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Khan Younis.
According to the Washington Post, the strike, which occurred on May 13, targeted an underground tunnel where senior Hamas officials had convened, breaching the group's usual security protocols.
Arab media also reported earlier this month that the body of Sinwar was found in the ruins of a Hamas tunnel complex in Khan Younis, five days after it was bombed by the IDF.
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Sinwar, known for maintaining a low profile and nicknamed "The Shadow," was instrumental in Hamas' military operations and had succeeded his brother Yahya as the de facto leader in Gaza after Yahya's death in a clash with Israeli forces in October 2024. His death reportedly leaves a significant void in Hamas' leadership structure.
The remains of 10 others, described as his aides, were also uncovered, including Muhammed Shabaneh who was the commander of the Rafah brigade.