Is Yahya Sinwar's brother Mohammed Sinwar killed? Israel says 'fate unclear' after bunker buster strike

Months after Israel took out Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Israel hit his younger brother Mohammed Sinwar in a strike on the European Hospital in Khan Yunis in Gaza, according to reports. However, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said his "fate was unclear".

 

A statement by the IDF said it targeted the Hamas leader at an underground command centre which was below the European Hospital. The footage released by the military showed smoke emanating from the ground in what was claimed to be the hospital premises. According to The Times of Israel, the footage showed an adjacent school and not the medical centre.   

 

Israel believes Mohammed Sinwar replaced his brother Yahya Sinwar as the new Hamas leader of Gaza after he was killed in an Israeli drone strike in October. Khalil al-Hayya, Yahya Sinwar's deputy, was believed to have taken on political responsibilities. 

 

The IDF is said to have used a bunker buster bomb to target Sinwar twice, the second time to avoid evacuation of Hamas members from the bombed site, sources quoted Israeli public broadcaster KAN. The strike is said to have killed 16 people and injured 70, though it is unclear whether Sinwar was among the dead. 

 

The Israeli military is making efforts to confirm whether he is dead. If he was indeed inside the tunnel, then there is little chance that he escaped, according to security sources.  

 

"We will not allow the Hamas terrorist organisation to use hospitals and humanitarian facilities in Gaza as shelters and terrorist headquarters," Defence Minister Israel Katz said. "We will pursue them and their leaders and strike them everywhere."

 

The strike was authorised by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was carried out without informing the US. Israeli sources claim the strike was "a result of a sudden opportunity" and Israel didn't have the time to inform the US or" consider the timing of US President Donald Trump's speech in Riyadh."

 

Interestingly, Israeli official's remarks comes as Trump opted to leave out Israel from his Middle Eastern tour. Although Israeli officials expressed interest in a presidential stop in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, Trump declined. He later hinted that a visit might happen in future but only if there were a tangible diplomatic breakthrough to showcase. 

Middle East