GAZA STRIP – Israeli security sources confirmed Wednesday that Muhammad Sinwar, commander of Hamas’ military wing and brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was killed in a precision airstrike targeting an underground complex beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
According to a report in the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Hamas sources revealed that Sinwar had entered the tunnel three days before the Israeli strike, accompanied by Muhammad Shabaneh, Rafah Brigade commander, and another senior officer from the Khan Younis Brigade. All three were killed in the attack.
IDF Used Bunker-Buster Bombs in Precision Strike
Last week’s Israeli airstrike was described as surgical, based on high-level intelligence, and utilized bunker-busting munitions. The Israeli Air Force targeted all entry and exit points to the tunnel complex, collapsing the structure and creating a suffocating underground vacuum—echoing past operations such as the one that reportedly killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Documentation of the Underground Infrastructure:
Footage of Underground Infrastructure Exposed Beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis | Photo: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit
Bodies Recovered and Buried in Secret
According to sources, Israeli special forces entered the collapsed tunnel to confirm the identities of the deceased. The bodies, including Sinwar’s, were later moved to a nearby tunnel, shrouded, and buried temporarily underground to prevent Israeli strikes during any attempt to surface them. Families of the deceased were informed in the last two days.
A Blow to Hamas Leadership
Muhammad Sinwar was known as one of Hamas’ most brutal and strategically dangerous commanders, widely seen as one of the masterminds behind the October 7, 2023 terrorist massacre. His death marks a serious blow to Hamas’ military leadership both operationally and symbolically.
Also Killed: Western Battalion Commander
Sources further reported that Mahdi Kawara, commander of the western battalion in the Khan Younis Brigade, was also killed during the operation. Kawara was not inside the tunnel but was located in a nearby home hit in the same strike, apparently entering or exiting via one of the tunnel access points inside the house.
IDF Chief: “Hamas Will Pay the Price”
During a tour of the Gaza front, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated: “Hamas will pay for its refusal to release the hostages. We will expand our ground maneuver, seize more territory, and continue to destroy their terror infrastructure.”
The operation was part of the ongoing Operation Gideon’s Chariots, and immediately after the strike on the tunnel, IDF aircraft hit additional Hamas squads attempting to retrieve casualties—ensuring complete elimination of the leadership present.
