The Palestinian group Hamas has officially confirmed the death of its Gaza military chief, Mohammad Sinwar, several months after Israel claimed to have killed him in a strike this past May. In a statement released on Saturday, the group did not provide specific details regarding the circumstances of his death but published pictures of him alongside other leaders, honoring them as “martyrs.”
Mohammad Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the top leader of Hamas who co-masterminded the October 7th attack on Israel and was killed by Israeli forces a year later. Following his brother’s death, Mohammad Sinwar was elevated to the highest ranks within the group’s military structure, assuming a critical leadership role.
His confirmed death is a significant blow to Hamas’s military command structure in the Gaza Strip. With his passing, operational control of the group’s armed wing across the entire enclave is expected to fall to his close associate, Izz al-Din Haddad, who currently oversees Hamas’s military operations in northern Gaza.
The announcement formalizes a key loss for Hamas that Israeli officials had reported months ago. The succession plan indicates a consolidation of power within the faction’s armed ranks as it continues to confront Israeli military operations in the territory.
