 "A Palestinian youth inspects the destruction inside Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. (Source: AFP)")
The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) on May 13 carried out a precision surgical airstrike, dropping over 50 bombs within 30 seconds.
The swift operation allegedly targeted a Hamas command-and-control centre situated beneath a hospital in Gaza’s Khan Yunis. The IDF has now released a 3D illustration, projecting how the strikes were launched to target the command centre without damaging the civilian infrastructure above.
The IDF said senior Hamas commander Muhammad Sinwar and operative Muhammad Shabana were also killed in the precision strikes. Israeli forces say the centre was used by Hamas to direct terrorist operations.
“The terrorists were eliminated while operating in an underground command and control centre under the European Hospital in Khan Younis, deliberately endangering the civilian population in and around the hospital,” a joint statement by the IDF and Shin Bet security agency read, according to The Times of Israel.
“Prior to and during the strike, measures were taken to minimise the risk of civilian harm,” the IDF added.
The Health Ministry, operated by Hamas, reported 16 fatalities and over 70 injuries resulting from the Israeli strike.
Major blow to Hamas leadership
The attack was among the most significant assassinations of Hamas leadership since the war started on October 7, 2023. Muhammad Sinwar, the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, now slain top leader of Hamas in Gaza, was a crucial figure in the group’s military planning.
The IDF stated that the precision strike disrupted Hamas’s command structure and demonstrated the effectiveness of Israeli intelligence and air capabilities.
The IDF released a video illustrating the strike days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the Israeli parliament, announcing Sinwar’s “elimination” and naming other Hamas officials killed over the past 20 months, including Yahya Sinwar.
Impact Shorts
View AllFollowing the IDF’s announcement, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a warning to remaining Hamas leaders.
“Now it is official: The murderer Muhammad Sinwar has been eliminated… and he was sent to meet his brother at the gates of hell,” Katz said. “Izz al-Din Haddad in Gaza and Khalil al-Hayya abroad, and all their partners in crime, you are next in line.”