Tel Aviv: Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Hamas' Gaza chief, Muhammad Sinwar, has been killed by Israel's army. There were reports of the Hamas chief being grievously injured in a massive airstrike by Israel on May 14, but at the time, the Israel Defense Forces couldn't confirm if the strike had eliminated the top militant.
"We eliminated Muhammad Sinwar. We (Israel) had eliminated Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and now Muhammad Sinwar... In the last two days, we have been in a dramatic turn towards a complete defeat of Hamas," PM Netanyahu said from the stage at the Knesset - Israel's parliament. Hamas has yet to confirm Sinwar's death.
Born Mohammad Ibrahim Hassan Sinwar in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in Gaza, he worked his way up to the ranks of Hamas over several decades. Nicknamed “the shadow” by Israeli officials due to his secretive activities, Sinwar was a key figure within the group. In 2006, he was involved with the abduction of the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, an operation that later led to a prisoner exchange deal in 2011.
Mohammad Sinwar was regarded as the mastermind behind the deadly Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023. Israel has vowed to seize control of Gaza and fight until Hamas is destroyed or disarmed and exiled, and until the militant group returns the remaining 58 hostages seized in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that sparked the war.
Ceasefire deal with Hamas dismissedIsrael has rejected claims that Hamas agreed to a new Gaza ceasefire deal proposed by US envoy Steve Witkoff. An Israeli official said the proposal wasn't put forward by Washington and said that no Israeli government could accept it. Witkoff also denied that Hamas had accepted any offer from him. Speaking to Reuters, he said, "What I’ve seen is completely unacceptable,” adding that the deal Hamas claimed to accept was not the same as his proposal. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted a video message on social media, saying, "I hope very much I’ll be able to give news regarding the hostages and our war on Hamas — today, and if not today, then tomorrow." Earlier, a Palestinian official close to Hamas told Reuters that the group had accepted a proposal received through mediators. |
