The Israeli military confirmed on Sunday that it had found and identified the body of Mohammed Sinwar, a top Hamas commander in Gaza, almost three weeks after his reported death in an Israeli air strike.
Sinwar’s body was found in an underground tunnel under the European Hospital in Khan Younis, said a military statement, during a pinpoint Israel Defense Forces (IDF) operation. DNA analysis and further identification procedures identified the body.
“SINWAR was killed along with a number of other Hamas operatives on May 13,” the release stated. Israeli military personnel announced that they also brought back personal effects and intelligence documents from the tunnel, which are currently being studied further.
Military spokesperson Brigadier General Effrin, who accompanied reporters to the site, reported that the tunnel ran directly under the hospital’s emergency wing and contained a number of concealed rooms. He said that the find verified the tactical utilization of civilian infrastructure by Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier on May 28 stated that Mohammed Sinwar was killed, referring to him as one of the most senior Hamas commanders and brother of Yahya Sinwar, who was the former leader of the group and was allegedly killed in late 2024.
Mohammed Sinwar, thought to have taken over the leadership of Hamas’ armed wing the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades upon the passing of influential figures such as Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, was regarded as key to the group’s war leadership and took part in the indirect negotiations with Israel.
His death represents a further personal blow to Hamas, which Israel and some Western countries classify as a terrorist group. It also highlights Israel’s ongoing emphasis on striking militant leadership during the current conflict in Gaza, which broke out after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on Israel.
