Israeli Strike Targets Hamas Leader Muhammad Sinwar at Hospital Site in Gaza

 Khan Younis, Gaza Strip — The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on Tuesday carried out a high-intensity airstrike targeting Muhammad Sinwar, the Hamas military commander believed to be leading the group’s operations in Gaza. The strike, which focused on an alleged underground Hamas command center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, left at least 16 people dead and over 70 injured, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.

While the IDF has not confirmed Sinwar’s death, Israeli security officials stated that intelligence had placed him inside the tunnel at the time of the strike. "If he was indeed present in the location, it is likely he did not survive," a senior security source said, noting that the operation was executed within a narrow tactical window.

The Israeli military released aerial footage showing the aftermath of the strike and stated that the attack was conducted using precision munitions and real-time surveillance to minimize civilian casualties. However, video footage circulating online showed massive plumes of smoke and damage in the vicinity of the hospital. Although the IDF claimed the tunnel was beneath the hospital, the footage released appeared to show a nearby school facility rather than the hospital itself.

Following the strike, three rockets were launched from northern Gaza toward the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot. Two of the projectiles were intercepted, while a third landed in an open area without causing casualties. The attack was claimed by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

In the hours after the hospital strike, the IDF issued a fresh evacuation directive for residents in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, calling it a “final warning” ahead of further planned operations. The military published a detailed map via social media to guide civilians in relocating to designated safe zones.

This escalation comes as Israel intensifies its campaign to dismantle Hamas’s leadership structure. Muhammad Sinwar assumed control of the militant wing in Gaza following the killing of former leader Yahya Sinwar—his elder brother—by Israeli forces in October 2024. Sinwar had previously commanded the group’s Khan Younis Brigade and was involved in the 2006 abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Israeli officials have described him as a central figure blocking negotiations for the release of hostages still held in Gaza and a key obstacle to securing a ceasefire.

The IDF accused Hamas of using hospitals and other civilian infrastructure to shield military operations, saying in a statement: “The Hamas terror organization continues to exploit medical facilities for operational purposes, endangering both patients and civilians.”

Additional Israeli strikes were reported later Tuesday in the same vicinity, in what security officials described as follow-up operations to prevent access to the targeted tunnel system.

Separately, the IDF and Israel’s internal security agency Shin Bet confirmed the death of Hassan Eslaiah, a Hamas operative identified as having participated in the group’s October 7, 2023, attacks. Eslaiah had worked as a freelance photojournalist and contributed images to global news agencies. According to Israeli intelligence, he was affiliated with the Khan Younis Brigade and had documented the assault on Kibbutz Nir Oz, where more than 100 civilians were killed or abducted.

The October 7 attacks, in which Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people and took 251 hostages, triggered Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza. To date, the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports over 52,000 fatalities as a result of the Israeli response, the majority of them civilians—a figure widely cited by international humanitarian agencies.