CAIRO, May 29: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed the death of Mohammed Sinwar, believed to be the head of Hamas’ armed wing, in a recent strike in the Gaza Strip. Sinwar is the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, who helped mastermind the October 7, 2023, attack that started the Israel-Hamas war.
Israeli strikes have decimated Hamas’ leadership during the 19-month war, and Sinwar was one of the last widely known leaders still alive in Gaza. The militant group still holds dozens of hostages and carries out sporadic attacks on Israeli forces.
Sinwar’s death could complicate US and Arab efforts to broker a ceasefire. Israel has vowed to continue the war until all hostages are returned and Hamas is either defeated or disarmed and sent into exile. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned Sinwar’s killing in a speech before parliament, listing the names of other top Hamas leaders killed during the war.
Mohammed Sinwar was born in 1975 in the urban Khan Younis refugee camp and joined Hamas after it was founded in the late 1980s as the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. He rose through the ranks to become a member of the group’s military wing, known as the Qassam Brigades. Sinwar was one of the planners of a 2006 cross-border attack on an Israeli army post. (AP)
