Muhammad Sinwar killed: Who was Hamas' Gaza chief and Yahya Sinwar's brother?

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Muhammad Sinwar has been killed.

Netanyahu said Muhammad was among the list of Hamas leaders killed in an Israelis a strike on May 13 in Khan Younis.

“We eliminated Mohammad Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar,” Netanyahu told Israeli parliament, also known as the Knesset. “In the last two days we have been in a dramatic turn towards a complete defeat of Hamas,” Netanyahu added.

This is the first official confirmation of Muhammad’s death. Netanyahu earlier this month said it was likely that Muhammad had been killed.

However, Hamas is yet to confirm the development.

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Muhammad was the Gaza chief of Hama.

He was the brother of Yahya Sinwar – who was previously the chief of Hamas in Gaza and the mastermind of the October 7 attacks on Israel.

Muhammad had taken over leadership of Hamas after the death of Yahya at the hands of Israeli forces in Rafah.

Muhammad was believed to be one of the most senior commanders of Hamas left in Gaza.

But who was Muhammad? What do we know about him? How did he operate within Hamas?

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Let’s take a closer look

Who was Muhammad?

According to Jerusalem Post, Muhammad was born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in 1975.

His brother Yahya at the time was already 13-years-old.

The Sinwar family moved to southern Gaza after fleeing a village near Ashkelon in 1948.

Muhammad was 14-years-old when Yahya was given five life terms in 1989.

He reportedly bore witness  to the arrest.

Muhammad In 1991 was arrested by the Israeli defence forces on suspicion of terrorist activities.

Muhammad was sent to Ktzi’ot Prison but released after nine months.

Muhammad upon his release became close to figures that would go on to play prominent roles within Hamas including Mohammed Deif and Sa’ad Al-Arabid.

Muhammad was repeatedly arrested by Palestinian security forces over the years.

He spent a total of three years in custody.

His profile grew in 2003 when Israeli forces killed Sa’ad Al-Arabid.

Operating within Hamas

Muhammad is said to have flown under the radar.

As per The Times of India, Israeli officials nicknamed Muhammad ‘the shadow’.

Muhammad is said to have boosted his own profile within Hamas after leading the 2006 raid that captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. The operation ultimately led to Yahya’s release in a 2011 prisoner exchange.

Muhammad is said to have remained a devoted follower of his brother Yahya.

He said to have played a key role in helping Yahya plan the brutal October 7 attacks.

According to The New York Times, Israel is said to have attempted to assassinate him a number of times over the years – including half a dozen times in 2021 alone.

“Muhammad Sinwar was not only involved during the military development of the organisation, from the al-Qassam Brigades to the full military wing, but he played an active and even leading role in some parts of the process. It’s no coincidence that his house was destroyed several times over the past two decades. The operations to take him out were immense but unsuccessful,” an official told the newspaper.

He was not very well known to the wider public.

“Many don’t understand who Muhammad Sinwar really is. He is an arch-terrorist who personally murdered Palestinians during interrogations, aiming to learn how the IDF and Shin Bet operate. He didn’t hesitate to torture and kill his own people,” a former security official added.

“The series of horrific acts he committed helped him understand the Israeli side to the point where he tried to turn agents against Israel. He can even identify aircraft by the sounds they make. No one in Hamas understands Israel’s covert operational patterns better than him. He conducted all the interrogations himself, learning everything from start to finish.”

As per, The Times of India, Muhammad said to have played a key role in helping Hamas regroup after the death of Yahya

The group is said to have formed a council of decision-makers in order to make it harder for Israel to target their leadership.

Amir Avivi, a retired Israeli brigadier general, recently told the Wall Street Journal, “We are in a situation where the pace at which Hamas is rebuilding itself is higher than the pace that the IDF is eradicating them. Muhammad Sinwar is managing everything.”

In short, Muhammad’s death could deal a real blow to Hamas.

With inputs from agencies