Foreign Affairs

Israel Announces It Recovered Body Of Hamas Leader From Group’s Terror Tunnels

IDF soldiers (IDF Telegram/Wikimedia Commons)

The Israeli military announced it has recovered the body of Mohammed Sinwar, a deceased ex-Hamas leader, from a tunnel located beneath the European Hospital in southern Gaza.

Sinwar’s death marked another major blow to Hamas’s leadership, although the terrorist group still maintains control over Gaza. The former Leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip was killed in an Israeli airstrike on May 13 targeting what the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) described as a Hamas “command-and-control center” beneath the hospital in Khan Younis, CNN reported.

The strike occurred just one day after Hamas released Israeli-American soldier Edan Alexander, who was held hostage. While the IDF believed at the time that Sinwar may have been killed in the attack, it took more than two weeks of investigation and identification before confirming his death, according to CNN.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially acknowledged Sinwar’s death during a speech to the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, marking 600 days since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack of Israel, which began the Gaza War. In his address, Netanyahu pointed to the impact of Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, claiming that “the military had eliminated tens of thousands of Hamas fighters and top leaders,” including Mohammad Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar Mohammned brother and now Mohammed Sinwar.

The Israeli Prime Minister framed these actions as part of a broader effort to reshape the security landscape of the Middle East. However, the strike that killed Sinwar also caused significant civilian casualties.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, “the airstrikes that occurred on May 13 resulted in the death of 28 Palestinian civilians, and injured more than 50 other Palestinian” civilians as well, CNN reported.

The location of the Hamas command center beneath a hospital has further fueled controversy, raising concerns about the use of civilian infrastructure in the conflict and the resulting humanitarian toll. Though Israel views the assassination of top Hamas leaders as a strategic success, it remains unclear whether these operations have weakened the group’s overall control in Gaza.

The war continues to raise complex questions about military strategy, civilian safety, and the long-term prospects for peace in the region.

Mohammed Ibrahim hassan al-Sinwar was a Palestinian Politician and a radical who rose to power and became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip and of the wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades. He would later take full control following the death of his brother Yahya Sinwar in October 2024, according to the Associated Press.