Top Hamas Leaders, Including Brother Of Yahya Sinwar, Killed In Israeli Airstrike: Report

Several members of the top brass of Hamas, including Mohammed Sinwar, brother of slain leader Yahya Sinwar, were reportedly killed in a recent Israeli airstrike, leaving a new void in the group's leadership.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that the operatives were attending a meeting in a tunnel in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. Among the topics discussed was the way to approach ceasefire talks with Israel, the outlet said. Mohammad Shabana, the commander of the Rafah brigade, was also killed.

Sinwar had become the de fact leader of Hamas since the killing of his brother Yahya in October last year. Other top leaders of the group like Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa have also been killed since the October 7, 2023 attacks that triggered the war.

The outlet detailed that Sinwar's body was found a day after the strike and buried in a temporary grave in a tunnel after his family was informed. The group has not publicly confirmed Sinwar's death, likely because it's still scrambling to announce his successor. One of the front-runners is Izz al-Din Haddad, the military leader in northern Gaza.

Israel began last week renewed operations in the enclave, aiming to seize its entire territory and displace its two million residents to a so-called humanitarian zone. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the Israeli Defense Forces will only stop the offensive if Hamas agrees to release all hostages remaining there, give up its arms and exile its leaders, among other demands.

A senior Israeli official said in early May that the army's plan to take over the Gaza Strip also contemplates facilitating voluntary emigration from the enclave.