Tel Aviv:
Israel has “probably” killed Mohammed Sinwar, de facto leader of Hamas in Gaza, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday. Sinwar was rumoured to have been killed in a massive Israeli air strike on the European hospital in Khan Younis last week, which killed 28 Palestinians. However, until now, neither Israel nor Hamas had officially confirmed his death.
”We have eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists…We eliminated the leaders of the murderers Deif, Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and probably Mohammad Sinwar,” said Netanyahu at a press conference on Wednesday evening.
About Mohammed Sinwar
Mohammed Sinwar was believed to be one of the senior-most military commanders of the group left in Gaza after over a year and a half of war with Israel. Hamas has so far not confirmed his death.
He was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the former Hamas leader who masterminded the October 7, 2023, attack that set off the war with Israel. Yahya Sinwar was killed in an Israeli strike in October 2024.
If Sinwar is indeed dead, it would add to a string of assassinations that have dealt a serious blow to Hamas’ top brass. Throughout the war, Israel has methodically eliminated Hamas’s leadership, killing Yahya Sinwar along with Muhammad Deif, the head of its military wing; Ismail Haniyeh, the group’s political chief; and numerous others.
What Netanyahu Said
In his first press conference in months, Netanyahu said Israel was open to a “temporary ceasefire” to facilitate the return of hostages amid mounting criticism over the Gaza conflict. He, however, said that all of the Gaza Strip would be under Israeli control by the end of its ongoing, intensified offensive in the Palestinian territory.
He added that “we must avoid a humanitarian crisis in order to preserve our freedom of operational action”, as pressure mounted on Israel to allow aid into war-battered Gaza.
Netanyahu said that Israel could agree to a “temporary ceasefire” under the condition that Hamas release all hostages. But, he said that war would only end if the Palestinian group agrees to his list of conditions, including the demilitarisation of Gaza, implementation of the US plan for voluntary emigration of Palestinians from the besieged enclave and the overthrow of Hamas.
“Gaza will be completely demilitarised, and we will carry out the Trump plan, which is so correct and so revolutionary, and it says something simple: The residents of Gaza who wish to leave – will be able to leave,” he said.