The IDF was able to target Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar based on information that Israeli intelligence gathered information that the terror leader was planning a meeting of the military wing’s leadership in an underground complex beneath Khan Yunis’s European Hospital, Walla reported on Monday.
IDF intelligence acquired a “golden piece of information” that allowed it to form an assessment of the time and place of the meeting. Shortly after, explosions shook Khan Yunis and the surrounding area.
Sinwar is believed to have been one of the most hardline and ruthless leaders in the Gaza Strip, refusing any compromise in negotiations with Israel that did not include a complete end to the Israel-Hamas War.
However, US negotiation pressure tactics forced him to back down, and the Hamas terror group released Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander as a gesture to US President Donald Trump.
Sinwar’s compound is believed to have had a conference room and command center, from which the Hamas leader managed the war since his brother, Yahya, was killed by the IDF in October 2024.
The operation to assassinate Mohammed Sinwar was reportedly formulated six months ago but was postponed several times for various reasons.
Security officials who spoke to Walla claimed that Sinwar always operated in the shadow of senior Hamas figures who inspired him but that cruelty was part of his nature.
This was expressed in his planning of attacks and building terror infrastructure, as well as in his executing collaborators, at times with his own hands.
Not just 'Yahya's brother'
The label “Yahya’s brother,” entitled Sinwar to respect from the Hamas leadership, and he took over the role “naturally” after Yahya was killed
However, at that time, Hamas was managed by a group of five senior figures, and Sinwar’s influence was not exclusive.
“His status significantly improved after his brother’s release [in 2011],” a security official told Walla.“He was also the man for special affairs. During the war, he was involved in the hostage-taking – and in policies against Israel. He continued this after everyone else was killed. Therefore, his neutralization is a very significant event. Ultimately, he is the figure with the most experience, activity, and understanding of the other side.”