by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) targeted Hamas’s de facto military leader in Gaza, Muhammad Sinwar, in a major airstrike on Tuesday afternoon, striking what Israeli intelligence identified as an underground command center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis.
The IDF, in coordination with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), said it took “multiple steps to mitigate civilian harm,” including the use of precision-guided munitions, aerial surveillance, and actionable intelligence. A joint statement from the IDF and the Israel Security Agency, known as Shin Bet, accused Hamas of “cynically and cruelly exploiting the civilian population in and around the hospital” by operating from protected medical facilities.
Footage posted online showed massive plumes of smoke and a collapsed ground structure near the hospital after what appeared to be at least nine aerial bombs were dropped.
The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reported 16 killed and over 70 wounded in the strike, but there was no immediate confirmation of whether Sinwar was among the casualties. Security sources told Israeli media that the military was still assessing the operation’s outcome. “If Sinwar was indeed in the tunnel, as the military’s intelligence indicated, he was likely killed,” one source said, adding the strike was launched during a “small window of opportunity.”
Hours later, additional strikes were carried out in the vicinity of the hospital, reportedly to prevent the evacuation of potential survivors or Hamas operatives from the tunnel network.
Defense sources suggested the IDF may have deployed a bunker-busting bomb in the operation, which was reportedly launched without prior notice to U.S. officials due to its sudden timing. “There was no time to inform the Americans or consider the timing of President Trump’s speech in Riyadh,” a source told Ynet.
Sinwar, the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, assumed leadership of Hamas’s military wing following the deaths of both Yahya and Muhammad Deif. Long involved in terror activities, he was jailed by Israel in the 1990s and escaped Palestinian Authority custody in 2000. In 2006, he participated in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit and later commanded Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade.
Israeli officials have long considered Sinwar a major obstacle to hostage negotiations and a ceasefire deal. “Sinwar was the most extreme figure in terms of negotiation positions for reaching a deal,” an Israeli official told The Jerusalem Post. “If he is out of the picture, it should ease the efforts to reach an agreement.”
The timing of the strike coincided with a renewed round of negotiations in Qatar. An Israeli delegation led by Shin Bet’s “M” and hostage affairs coordinator Gal Hirsch arrived in Doha Tuesday evening, joined by U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and hostage affairs envoy Adam Boehler.
Ahead of the talks, senior Qatari officials held meetings with Hamas leaders based in Doha. According to a source close to the discussions, Hamas remains firm in its core demands but is willing to negotiate. “The message received by the American administration was that, despite Israel’s insistence on a deal that does not include ending the war, Hamas is willing to negotiate even though it has not changed its position,” the source said.
The IDF confirmed earlier strikes on Nasser Hospital in recent weeks, where Hamas was reportedly operating another command center. In March, a precision Israeli strike killed Ismail Barhoum, a senior Hamas official and head of the organization’s finances, while he was operating from the same facility.
As the war continues following the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre in southern Israel, most of Hamas’s top leadership has been eliminated. If confirmed, the elimination of Muhammad Sinwar would mark a significant milestone in Israel’s campaign to dismantle the terror group’s hierarchy.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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