Israeli Airstrike Kills Top Hamas Commander, Mohammed Sinwar

Israel announced on Wednesday that its military killed Mohammed Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza and the brother of Yahya Sinwar, who was responsible for the October 2023 attacks that started the Gaza war.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told parliament that Israeli forces had cleared terrorists from their land, entered Gaza with force, and killed tens of thousands of militants, including Mohammed Sinwar.

“We changed the face of the Middle East, we pushed the terrorists from our territories, we entered the Gaza Strip with force, we eliminated tens of thousands of terrorists, we eliminated (Mohammad) Deif, (Ismail) Haniyeh, Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Sinwar,” he told lawmakers.

Reports say Mohammed Sinwar was targeted in airstrikes in southern Gaza earlier this month. His brother Yahya was killed in October 2024.

The announcement came as the United Nations criticized a US- and Israeli-supported aid group operating in Gaza. This group has faced backlash after dozens were hurt during chaotic food distribution.

Israel denied claims that its troops fired on the crowds during the aid distribution.

The hunger crisis in Gaza has brought attention to the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which operates outside the usual UN-led aid system.

The UN reported that 47 people were hurt when thousands of Palestinians rushed a GHF food distribution site on Tuesday. Palestinian medical sources say at least one person died.

Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN Human Rights Office in the Palestinian territories, said most injuries were caused by Israeli gunfire.

The Israeli military rejected this, with spokesman Colonel Olivier Rafowicz saying soldiers only fired warning shots into the air outside the distribution center and did not shoot at people.

GHF also denied that anyone was shot while waiting for aid. They said they are continuing their work and recently opened a new distribution site without problems. They plan to open more sites across Gaza soon.

GHF said two of its four sites are fully operational, and on Wednesday they distributed aid from eight trucks and over 840,000 meals.

UN Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag told the Security Council that Palestinians in Gaza deserve more than just survival. She said the ongoing violence has made life worse for civilians, calling the situation “manmade” and stressing that people in Gaza deserve a future, not just to survive.

“Since the resumption of hostilities in Gaza, the already horrific existence of civilians has only sunk further into the abyss,” she said.

“This is manmade … Death is their companion. It’s not life, it’s not hope. The people of Gaza deserve more than survival. They deserve a future.”

As the war, which started with Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, reached 600 days, Netanyahu said the conflict had changed the Middle East. He praised the military’s actions in Gaza, including the killing of Sinwar.

However, people in Gaza said there is little hope for peace or a better future.

“Six hundred days have passed and nothing has changed. Death continues, and Israeli bombing does not stop. Even hoping for a ceasefire feels like a dream and a nightmare,” said Bassam Daloul, 40.

In Israel, families of hostages held in Gaza since October 7 gathered in Tel Aviv, hoping for their loved ones’ return.

Arbel Yehud, who was freed from Gaza captivity in January, warned that when Israel cancels negotiations, it worsens conditions for the hostages.

The UN has criticized the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, accusing it of misusing resources and distracting from real humanitarian needs.

Since Wednesday morning, Israeli airstrikes have killed 16 people in Gaza, according to the territory’s civil defense agency.

Heba Jabr, 29, who lives in a tent with her family in southern Gaza, said she struggles to find food.

“Dying by bombing is much better than dying from the humiliation of hunger and being unable to provide bread and water for your children,” she said.

Israel had imposed a full blockade on Gaza for over two months but recently allowed limited supplies to enter.

Meanwhile, Israel increased its military actions in Gaza this month while efforts for a ceasefire continue without success.

In Tel Aviv, hundreds protested for a ceasefire, marking the exact time of the October 7 attack, with many media outlets focusing on the struggles of families with hostages.

Since the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas, which killed around 1,218 people mostly civilians, and the end of the ceasefire on March 18, more than 3,900 people have died in Gaza, bringing the total death toll in the conflict to over 54,000, mostly civilians, according to official sources.

KanyiDaily recalls that Israel recently launched a new wave of “extensive strikes” in Gaza, with officials confirming over 100 people killed in the latest offensive.