IDF targeted Mohammed Sinwar a day after Edan Alexander’s release

Mohammed Sinwar was considered the most hardline Hamas figure in the Gaza Strip, although he caved to American negotiation tactics and agreed to free Alexander as a goodwill gesture to Trump.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The IDF targeted Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar while he attended a meeting in a Gaza hospital just a day after the freeing of the last American hostage, Edan Alexander.

Israel received the “golden intelligence” that there was a meeting scheduled that would include Sinwar and other leading Hamas figures underneath the European hospital in Khan Younis.

The meeting was attended by Rafah Brigade Commander Mohammad Shabana, who was also seen as one of Sinwar’s heirs, and the military wing’s spokesman, Abu Ubayda. Other field commanders at more junior levels were also present.

Shortly after the terrorist leaders were gathered beneath the hospital, explosions were heard in Khan Younis, which are believed to have killed Sinwar.

Mohammed Sinwar was considered the most hardline figure in the Gaza Strip, although he caved to American negotiation tactics and agreed to free Alexander as a goodwill gesture to Trump. He was mainly responsible for rejecting any hostage agreement proposal that did not immediately end the war.

He took over control of Hamas after his brother, Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of the October 7th invasion, was killed by the IDF in October 2024.

The IDF had planned to assassinate Mohammed Sinwar, also known as “Abu Ibrahim,” for about six months but kept having to postpone the operation.

Sinwar, like his brother, was known for his ruthlessness in planning terrorist operations. He often executed his fellow Palestinians with his bare hands if he suspected them of being disloyal.

Although he took a leading role, Sinwar’s control of Hamas was not total; rather, it was shared with five other leaders.

“His status was significantly elevated after his brother’s release [in 2011],” a security official told Walla. “He was chosen for special missions. During the war, he focused on hostage-taking and on policies against Israel. He continued this after everyone else was killed. Therefore, his elimination is very significant. Ultimately, he has the most experience and understanding of the other side.”