Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Israel has probably killed Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in a targeted airstrike on a hospital in Gaza's south in early May, Reuters reported. Sinwar's death has not been confirmed by either Israel or Hamas,according tothe outlet. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike targeted an underground command center allegedly operated by Hamas beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, The Times of Israel previouslyreported. The IDF was working to confirm if the targeted attack was successful, sources said. Sinwar, the younger brother of former Hamas Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, who was killed by Israeli forces in October, had reportedly taken charge of Hamas's military wing following the elimination of top commander Muhammad Deif in July. Israeli security sources indicated that if Sinwar was in the tunnel during the strike, as intelligence suggested, he was probably killed. The IDF released footage claiming to show that their strike had uncovered a tunnel network beneath the hospital. The Hamas-run health ministry claimed the attack killed 16 and wounded over 70. Israeli officials have characterized Mohammed Sinwar as unyielding on the issue of releasing hostages and as a hurdle to achieving a ceasefire agreement.(RELATED: Hamas Sought To Derail Israel-Saudi Peace Deal With Oct. 7 Massacre, Documents Reveal: WSJ) His potential elimination follows Israel's systematic targeting of Hamas leadership since the terror group committed the Oct. 7, 2023 massacre, killing around 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. The strike was followed by additional Israeli bombardments in the area, apparently aimed at keeping anyone from approaching the tunnel targeted, according to Palestinian reports. The IDF said they employed measures to minimize civilian casualties, including precision-guided munitions and aerial surveillance. Three rockets were launched toward southern Israel, with the IDF intercepting two while the other fell in an open area, the military said. Palestinian Islamic Jihad, another terrorist group operating in Gaza, claimed credit for the attack. According to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, Hamas launched the October attack with the explicit goal of derailing peace negotiations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Minutes from a high-level Hamas meeting days before the assault allegedly show that Yahya Sinwar believed an "extraordinary act" was necessary to stop normalization efforts he claimed were threatening to sideline the Palestinian cause.
