According to Israeli media, the strike took place on May 13 at the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza, and was aimed directly at Sinwar. 

Netanyahu framed the killing as a major achievement in Israel’s ongoing war. “In the 600 days of resurgence, we have transformed the face of the Middle East.

We repelled the terrorists from our territory, entered Gaza, and eliminated Deif, Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar, and Mohammed Sinwar,” he declared before Parliament. 

Despite the announcement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have not officially confirmed Sinwar’s death. The military did acknowledge carrying out the May 13 strike on the European Hospital, where at least 16 people were killed according to Gaza health officials.

The IDF said the target was “Hamas operatives operating from an underground command center” beneath the facility. 

“Hamas continues to use hospitals in Gaza for terrorist activity, showing its cynical and brutal disregard for the civilians inside and around them,” the IDF said in a statement, without addressing Netanyahu’s claim about Sinwar. 

Who was Mhammed Sinwar

Mohammed Sinwar was the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the long-time Hamas leader and mastermind of the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.

Yahya was killed by Israeli forces in Rafah in October 2024. Since then, speculation had grown that Mohammed had stepped into the leadership role, though Hamas never confirmed this publicly. 

The airstrike on the European Hospital has drawn widespread international criticism, given that it targeted a medical facility.

Israel has defended the strike by citing Hamas’s alleged use of the hospital for military purposes. If Mohammed Sinwar’s death is confirmed, it would mark another significant blow to Hamas’s leadership structure, but it could also heighten tensions in Gaza and across the region.