'He died the way he lived—underground': Israel confirms Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar killed in May 13 strike; body found inside tunnel

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and Shin Bet security agency on Sunday confirmed that the body of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar was found inside a tunnel located under the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

"Mohammad Sinwar was responsible for the deaths of countless civilians. He was eliminated in an IDF & ISA strike on May 13," IDF said in a post on X.

"His body was found beneath the European hospital in Khan Yunis—more proof of how Sinwar, and Hamas, hide behind their civilians and purposely embed themselves in civilian areas, such as hospitals," the post further said, adding, "He died the way he lived—underground."



According to the military, the tunnel was used by Hamas as a command center, The Times of Israel reported.

Israeli fighter jets bombarded the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis on May 13 to kill Muhammad Sinwar, one of Hamas' remaining top leaders in the enclave


Troops reached the hospital several days earlier, and later retrieved the body of Sinwar along with the bodies of other Hamas members, as per The Times of Israel report.

The Israeli military said that Sinwar was killed in an Israeli strike on the tunnel on May 13. The same strike also killed Muhammad Shabana, the commander of Hamas’ Rafah Brigade, and Mahdi Quara, commander of the group’s South Khan Younis Battalion.

The IDF added that it found several items belonging to Sinwar and Shabana inside the tunnel, including ID cards. Weapons were also recovered.



The IDF said that the identification process has confirmed that one of the bodies belongs to Sinwar, while the other bodies are still being identified.

Earlier in May, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing Hamas and Arab officials, that the meeting between Hamas leaders was held to talk about their position on ceasefire negotiations and a hostage deal, among other topics. After learning of the gathering, the Israeli Air Force began preparing for a strike, The Times of Israel's report said. Senior officers believed it might be canceled over concerns that hostages could be nearby, as Sinwar was known to keep them close.

But once intelligence showed that no hostages were near the commanders, the Israeli air force was given approval to carry out the attack. Jets were launched, and the strike was executed.

Who was Muhammad Sinwar?

Muhammad Sinwar, a senior military figure in Hamas, was the younger brother of former Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. He had been on Israel’s most wanted list for several months.

Israeli officials said Sinwar had resisted efforts to negotiate a hostage deal and had blocked progress toward a ceasefire. After the death of Muhammad Deif, Hamas’s top military commander, in July 2024, Sinwar took over the group’s military operations.

Yahya Sinwar had been made the overall Hamas leader after Israel killed Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran in the same month. When Yahya Sinwar was killed in combat in October 2024, Muhammad Sinwar became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.