Mohammed Sinwar, brother of slain Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza last week?

A series of Israeli airstrikes across the Gaza Strip overnight has killed at least 100 Palestinians as efforts for a new round of ceasefire talks are ongoing between Israel and Hamas. Reportedly, Mohammed Sinwar and Zakaria Sinwar, brothers of former Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar were killed in the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza last week. 

 

The de facto commander of Hamas Mohammed Sinwar has been in charge of the remaining 58 Israeli hostages since his brother was killed by military forces in Rafah in October last year. 

 

Mohammed Sinwar’s body was found in a Khan Younis tunnel near Rafah crossing, reported Times of Israel.

 

Defence Minister Israel Katz told Knesset Foreign Affairs that Mohammed was “likely killed” in the Gaza airstrike last week. However, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) is yet to confirm his death. 

 

Israel's overnight strikes hit a tent encampment housing displaced families in Khan Younis in southern Gaza, killing women and children, wounding dozens and setting several tents ablaze. 

 

Zakaria Sinwar, another brother of Yahya Sinwar was, reportedly, killed on Saturday in the overnight airstrike in Nuseirat in central Gaza Strip. He was killed along with three of his children in a strike on the tent where they were residing. Rafah Brigade commander Mohammed Shabanah was also killed in the strike. 

 

Zakaria was a history lecturer at a Gaza university.  

 

Meanwhile, Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied the deaths.

 

Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March to try and pressurise Hamas to release the remaining hostages. However, Hamas has maintained its stand that the hostages will not be released till a ceasefire is obtained. Amid the fresh round of airstrikes, mediators including Egypt and Qatar began a new round of indirect ceasefire talks between the two sides on Saturday. 

 

Gaza’s healthcare system is barely functional with the repeated bombardment by Israeli forces. Gaza Health Ministry on Sunday said that Indonesian Hospital, one of the largest partially functioning medical facilities in north Gaza, had stopped its operations following the Israeli fire near and at the vicinity.

Middle East