Hamas has officially confirmed the death of its Gaza military chief, Mohammed Sinwar, months after Israel claimed to have killed him in an airstrike in May. The militant group released images of Sinwar alongside other senior figures on Saturday, referring to them as “martyrs,” but refrained from giving further details about the circumstances of his death.
Sinwar, the younger brother of Hamas’ overall leader Yahya Sinwar, rose to prominence within the Islamist faction following his brother’s death in combat against Israeli forces in 2024. Yahya Sinwar was widely seen as one of the masterminds of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. His younger brother stepped into a leadership vacuum and quickly assumed responsibility for coordinating Hamas’ military operations across the besieged enclave.
The confirmation of Mohammed Sinwar’s death is likely to deal a significant blow to the group’s internal command structure. Analysts note that the Sinwar brothers had been central figures in Hamas’ political and military strategy, combining longstanding operational experience with symbolic influence among the group’s fighters and supporters.
With Mohammed Sinwar now out of the picture, leadership of Hamas’ armed wing, the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, is expected to consolidate under Izz al-Din Haddad. Haddad, who has been directing operations in northern Gaza, is described by Israeli and regional security officials as a seasoned field commander with strong ties to surviving elements of the group’s leadership. His elevation signals continuity in Hamas’ military strategy, even as the organization faces relentless Israeli offensives and mounting battlefield losses.
The announcement comes at a time when the humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with international mediators struggling to broker a lasting ceasefire. For Israel, the confirmation of Sinwar’s death will likely be presented as a major achievement in its campaign to dismantle Hamas’ leadership hierarchy. For Hamas, however, the move underscores both the heavy toll of the conflict and the resilience of its command structure, which continues to reorganize despite sustained military pressure.
As Gaza’s war grinds on, the death of Mohammed Sinwar further reshapes the militant group’s leadership dynamics, raising questions about the future direction of its resistance campaign.
