Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Wednesday that Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas’ Gaza chief and younger brother of slain leader Yahya Sinwar, has been killed in an Israeli military operation, marking what could be one of the most significant assassinations in the months-long war in Gaza.
The death of Sinwar, if confirmed by Hamas, would be the latest blow to the militant group’s upper ranks. Netanyahu, speaking to lawmakers in the Knesset, claimed Israel had eliminated not just Mohammed Sinwar but also Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar, the masterminds behind the October 7, 2023, attacks that ignited the war.
“In the last two days, we have been in a dramatic turn towards a complete defeat of Hamas,” Netanyahu told Israeli parliamentarians. “We eliminated the head of the snake.”
Mohammed Sinwar had taken over leadership in Gaza after Yahya’s death and was regarded as one of Israel’s most wanted targets. His reported killing comes as Israeli forces continue an aggressive campaign across Gaza, including strikes on dozens of sites, from missile outposts to weapons storage facilities.
Gaza mums on Sinwar death as uncertainty in leadership roars
Hamas has not yet confirmed Sinwar’s death, and the implications for the group’s leadership structure remain uncertain. According to Reuters, Izz al-Din Haddad, commander of Hamas’ armed wing in northern Gaza and a close associate of Sinwar, may be poised to assume control, potentially deepening divisions between Hamas’ military and political wings, the latter largely exiled abroad.
Observers say the shifting leadership could complicate ceasefire negotiations and weaken the exiled political bureau’s influence over fighters still entrenched in Gaza.
Gaza death toll nears 54,000
The war, now stretching into its 600th day, has devastated Gaza. Palestinian health authorities report nearly 54,000 people killed, including thousands of children, as airstrikes and ground battles ravage densely populated areas.
While Israel remains focused on dismantling Hamas and securing the release of the remaining 58 hostages from the October 7 attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming levels.
Aid Chaos Amid Hunger and Gunfire
In a related development, Netanyahu confirmed that Israel is taking control of food distribution in Gaza. This follows the launch of a U.S.- and Israeli-backed aid initiative aimed at easing the suffering in the besieged enclave.
But the system’s rollout has already turned deadly. On Tuesday, gunfire erupted at a new food distribution site near Rafah, killing at least one person and injuring 48 others. Thousands of desperate civilians overran the aid centre, prompting Israeli troops to fire into the air to disperse the crowd. It remains unclear who fired the shots that caused casualties.
The aid centre, operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, is the first of four planned distribution points in the region. Its opening coincides with Israel’s decision to ease a three-month aid blockade.
As Israel pushes toward what Netanyahu calls the “complete defeat” of Hamas, analysts warn that eliminating militant leaders may not equate to long-term stability. The group’s ability to reorganise and continue resisting, especially if power consolidates under hardliners on the ground, remains a pressing concern.
The coming days will reveal whether the vacuum left by Mohammed Sinwar’s reported death shifts the war’s trajectory or simply fuels another chapter in Gaza’s unrelenting crisis.
