Israel optimistic that Hamas military leader Mohammed Sinwar was killed in massive Khan Younis strike

The Israeli security establishment is optimistic that Mohammed Sinwar, the brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, was killed during the massive bombardment of an underground facility in Khan Younis on Tuesday evening.

Following the strike, the IDF identified two rocket launches at Ashkelon and one at Sderot. Air defenses intercepted two rockets and the third fell in open areas, the military said.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the first rocket fire from Gaza since April 13. Since the resumption of fighting, 30 rockets were launched at Israel from the Gaza Strip.

The reaction to the possible assassination of the most senior Hamas leader left in Gaza demonstrates the degradation of the terror group’s military capabilities.

In Israel’s security establishment, Sinwar was designated an “ace,” meaning that as soon as intelligence about his whereabouts was discovered, the entire system swung into action automatically to try and kill him.

According to Ynet News, the operation proceeded so swiftly that the U.S. could only be notified after the fact.

As part of the quick preparations, all possible checks were made to ensure that there were no Israeli hostages nearby, security officials clarified.

The scope of the strike was reportedly comparable to the one that killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, with the Air Force dropping over 40 bunker-penetrating bombs, with a total weight of about a ton.

According to Palestinian reports, the Air Force then continued striking the compound and all its exits, located near the European Hospital, including strikes meant to keep away first responders.

Gaza’s health ministry said at least six people were killed and more than 40 wounded in the attack.

“Whoever was there is dead, there is no way out of it,” a security official told Ynet.

“It is too early to know the results of the strike, also due to the fact that the location that was attacked was underground. But definitely, if it succeeded – it is an achievement against Hamas also in the strategic and moral aspect, and certainly in the context of the negotiations,” added an informed source.

Cabinet member Zeev Elkin told Army Radio: “If he is eliminated, I believe it will make it easier to reach an agreement. He has been a problematic factor in all negotiations for a long time.”

The younger Sinwar was considered even more extreme and hardline than his brother and took over the leadership of the military wing and several other responsibilities after the assassination of Yahya Sinwar.

According to Israeli media outlets, the IDF unsuccessfully tried to kill him six times over the past decades.

Most assessments agree that if Sinwar is dead, his position will be taken by Izz al-Din al-Haddad, current commander of the Gaza City Brigade, and Hamas’ military wing in the northern Gaza Strip.