GAZA CITY — Muhammad Sinwar, the Hamas military commander known as “The Shadow”, and brother of slain terror leader Yahya Sinwar, was likely killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a hospital bunker, Israeli officials said Tuesday.
According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, Sinwar’s body was found inside a tunnel complex beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, a facility the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) say Hamas had converted into a subterranean command center. The IDF used bunker-buster bombs in the strike, aiming to seal off all exits and prevent the escape of those inside.
Sinwar assumed command of Hamas’s military wing following the July 2024 killing of Muhammad Deif, and later became the group’s overall leader after his older brother Yahya Sinwar—dubbed “Gaza’s bin Laden” for his brutality—was killed by Israel in October.
While Hamas has not confirmed Sinwar’s death, Katz reportedly told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that he is believed to be dead “beyond all indications,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
The IDF released aerial footage of the operation showing Israeli fighter jets striking the hospital complex. CCTV video from the area captured civilians running in panic moments before a massive explosion tore through the ground, followed by a fireball.
Hamas claimed that at least six people were killed and 40 others injured in the strike, but provided no information about Sinwar’s fate. Israeli sources also indicated that Mohammad Shabana, commander of Hamas’s Rafah Brigade, may have been killed in the same operation.
If confirmed, Sinwar’s death could leave a leadership vacuum inside Hamas, potentially triggering a power struggle between its military and political wings as the war in Gaza intensifies.
Tuesday’s airstrike coincided with the launch of a new Israeli military campaign, dubbed Operation Gideon’s Chariots, aimed at securing strategic areas of the Gaza Strip and displacing Hamas fighters.
In a statement posted to X, the IDF said the “initial stages” of the operation were underway as part of a broader expansion of the war in Gaza. Objectives include defeating Hamas and securing the release of Israeli hostages still held in the territory since the October 7 attacks.
“We have struck over 150 terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip in the past 24 hours,” the IDF said. “We will not stop until Hamas is no longer a threat and all our hostages are home.”
The Israeli military says the offensive also aims to relocate civilians away from combat zones in southern Gaza and tighten the noose around remaining Hamas strongholds.
Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Amid Blockade
The latest escalation comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. One of the last functioning hospitals warned it could no longer treat critical injuries due to supply shortages and damage from nearby Israeli attacks.
Since March, Israel has maintained a blockade on aid entering Gaza, a measure it says is meant to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages. But aid organizations and international observers warn that the population is starving and facing mass displacement.
On Friday, President Donald Trump, speaking during a stop in Abu Dhabi, acknowledged the worsening situation.
“We’re looking at Gaza. And we’re going to get that taken care of,” Trump told reporters, though he did not visit Israel during his regional tour.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration was “troubled” by the scale of the suffering and urged Israel to consider renewed ceasefire negotiations.
In a stark rebuke, UN human rights chief Volker Turk condemned the ongoing airstrikes and warned that the forced displacement of Palestinians amid bombing and aid restrictions may amount to ethnic cleansing.
“This latest barrage of bombs, the methodical destruction of entire neighborhoods, and the denial of humanitarian assistance appear to push for a permanent demographic shift in Gaza,” Turk said Friday. “This is in defiance of international law.”
Israel has continued to signal that it will not halt military operations. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was preparing for an “intense entry” into Gaza to fully seize control of the territory.
As Gaza endures one of its bloodiest and most destructive phases of the war, the likely death of Muhammad Sinwar could mark a pivotal moment in Israel’s campaign to dismantle Hamas leadership—but also heightens fears of a prolonged insurgency and deeper humanitarian catastrophe.
