On May 28, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Mohammad Sinwar, Hamas’ Gaza chief and younger brother of its late leader Yahya Sinwar, was killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a hospital in Khan Younis on May 13.
Speaking to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, Netanyahu declared Sinwar’s “elimination” alongside other Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Mohammad Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, over the past 20 months, per Reuters. Hamas has not confirmed the death of Mohammad Sinwar, and Israeli military sources have yet to validate the claim.
Netanyahu first proposed Sinwar’s assassination on May 21, following the airstrike on the European Hospital on May 13. The Israeli military characterised this strike as targeting a Hamas command centre located in underground tunnels.
BREAKING: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Hamas Gaza chief, Mohammad Sinwar, one of its most wanted and the younger brother of the deceased group's leader, Yahya Sinwar, had been eliminated https://t.co/iHaXjsDTjY pic.twitter.com/Yz19sqrHen
— Reuters (@Reuters) May 28, 2025Gaza’s health ministry reported 28 deaths and over 50 injuries, with no prior evacuation orders issued. This strike is part of Israel’s intensified campaign following the collapse of a ceasefire in March 2025, aimed at dismantling Hamas’ leadership. Sinwar, a prominent figure in Hamas’ military wing, gained prominence after Yahya’s death in October 2024.
Israel’s Strategic Claims
Netanyahu claimed a “dramatic turn” toward defeating Hamas, citing losses like its command center. He also referenced Israel’s control over a US-backed aid distribution system in Gaza, criticised by the UN for bypassing humanitarian norms. Israeli military chief Eyal Zamir noted Hamas’ weakened assets on May 26. However, Hamas retains control over parts of Gaza and holds 58 hostages from the October 7, 2023, attack, which killed 1,200 and sparked the war. Gaza’s health officials report over 53,000 deaths and 2 million displaced.
Security analyst Dr. Elena Petrova from Georgetown University states, “Sinwar’s unconfirmed death, if true, disrupts Hamas’ leadership but may not shift ceasefire dynamics without a clear successor.”
Hamas’ silence and the potential rise of Izz al-Din Haddad as Gaza chief leave the conflict’s trajectory uncertain, per Reuters. Israel’s vow to eliminate Hamas faces international scrutiny amid Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.
