Why it matters:
The alleged targeting of Mohammad Sinwar comes at a pivotal moment. Just as ceasefire negotiations are set to resume in Doha, Hamas's late commander Yahya Sinwar's brother, Mohammad Sinwar, is seen as a central figure in those talks. If he's been killed, it could derail or delay progress.
The big picture:
Mohammed Sinwar rose to leadership within Hamas after his brother, Yahya Sinwar, was killed by Israel in 2023. He’s viewed as one of the group's last remaining top decision-makers in Gaza. Tuesday’s strike signals Israel’s continuing strategy to eliminate Hamas leadership even amid diplomatic overtures.
What they're saying:
Hamas swiftly rejected the Israeli claim. In a statement, the group said: “The Palestinian resistance alone, through its official platforms, is the authority authorized to confirm or deny what is published.”
Key points:
- Israeli fighter jets dropped 10 bunker-buster bombs on an area near the European Hospital in Khan Younis, claiming the site housed a Hamas command center.
- Gaza’s health ministry reports at least six killed, over 40 wounded. Hospital staff say patients were moved as smoke and rubble overtook the area.
- After his brother's death, Mohammed Sinwar became Hamas’s de facto military and political head inside Gaza.
- Israeli officials say the strike was aimed at Sinwar, but have not confirmed whether he was present.
- The strike occurred just one day after Hamas released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, a move coordinated without Israeli involvement, and just before talks were set to begin in Doha.
Go deeper:
As humanitarian concerns mount, bombing of a hospital, regardless of who was targeted, further strains Gaza’s already collapsing health infrastructure and inflames international scrutiny.
Hossein Vaez
