Overview

• An Israeli Defense Forces airstrike on May 13 in Khan Younès killed Mohammed Sinouar, the Gaza commander of Hamas’s armed wing, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on May 28.
• Sinouar had succeeded his brother Yahya Sinouar, who was killed in October 2024, to lead the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
• He played a central role in planning military operations and directing indirect negotiations over Israeli hostages.
• His death comes after the elimination of other senior Hamas figures, including political chief Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024.
• Netanyahu declared in the Knesset that Israel had “eliminated Mohammed Sinouar” to weaken the organization’s command structure.