The Saudi news channel AlHadath reported on Sunday morning that, following uncertainty about his fate, sources in Gaza have confirmed the discovery of the bodies of Muhammad Sinwar and ten of his aides inside a tunnel in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
According to the sources, it has been confirmed that Muhammad Sinwar, commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade and a senior leader of the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, was killed in Israeli airstrikes several days ago near the European Hospital east of Khan Yunis. The sources also reported that Mohammed Shabana, commander of the Rafah Brigade, was killed in the same strikes alongside Sinwar.
UN Security Council calls an emergency meeting on the Israeli food blockade of Gaza and Israel attacks the European hospital.
But UK government lawyers still say there’s no evidence of genocide or the IDF attacking women and children.@Keir_Starmer @DavidLammy @UKLabour pic.twitter.com/kWHTEIidO3— Thomas Standfield (@TStandfield1789) May 13, 2025
The IDF conducted a targeted strike near the European Hospital in eastern Khan Yunis, an area identified by the Israeli security establishment as a major Hamas command and control center. Air Force jets dropped heavy bombs on the underground infrastructure beneath the complex, which was believed to house over a hundred Hamas operatives, including many closely tied to the organization’s senior leadership.
The Israeli security establishment is approaching the reports with great caution. “At this stage, we are not prepared to definitively confirm whether Muhammad Sinwar was inside the tunnel during the strike, as current assessments suggest, or if he managed to escape,” a senior security source said Saturday night. “The Palestinians have yet to complete clearing the rubble or reach the deeper sections of the tunnel, which is why they too are holding off on making any official statements.”
Muhammad Ibrahim Hassan al-Sinwar, also known as Abu Ibrahim, was a senior commander in Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Formerly the head of the Khan Yunis Brigade, Sinwar rose to become the top military leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the assassinations of his brother Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif. He was considered the most senior figure in the terrorist organization’s hierarchy.
Since the early 1990s, and especially following the outbreak of the Second Intifada, Muhammad Sinwar played a central role in orchestrating terrorist attacks against Israeli civilian and military targets. He was instrumental in the development and deployment of rockets and mortars and was behind hundreds of shooting attacks, the planting of explosives, and the financing of weapons production. Muhammad Sinwar also played a key role in the planning of the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and the October 7, 2023, massacre. Due to his high-level involvement in terrorist activities, he was a frequent target of Israeli assassination attempts.
On May 13, 2025, Israel launched a major airstrike on a Hamas command and control center located within the European Hospital complex in Khan Yunis, specifically targeting Muhammad Sinwar. The strike, which employed bunker-busting bombs, resulted in the deaths of dozens of Hamas terrorists, likely including Muhammad Sinwar. Following the attack, the IDF reportedly blocked rescue teams from accessing the site, further complicating efforts to confirm the identities of those killed.
