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According to reports, Hamas has officially confirmed the death of five senior leaders, marking one of the most significant setbacks for the terrorist organization since the beginning of the Gaza war.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the group’s armed wing, Hamas said Mohammed al-Sinwar, brother of former Hamas leader Yahya al-Sinwar, was killed during Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the Jerusalem Post.
Al-Sinwar rose to a senior role within the organization and was widely seen as a key figure in Hamas’s wartime command following the deaths of other top commanders.
The Israeli military also said in May that he was killed in an airstrike targeting the Hamas command center beneath the European hospital in Khan Yunis.
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Hamas officially confirmed the deaths of senior figures, including longtime masked spokesman Abu Obaida. (Reuters)
Hamas did not immediately release the exact date of his death but acknowledged that he was killed earlier this year.
According to Reuters, Hamas also confirmed the death of Abu Obeida, the longtime masked spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades who became the public face of the group’s military wing during the war.
Hamas revealed for the first time in its announcement that his real name is Hudaifah Samir Abdullah al-Kahlout.
According to Israeli statements, Abu Obaida was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza City in late August.
While Israel had previously announced his death, Monday’s statement marked the first official confirmation by Hamas.
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Deir al-Balah, Gaza: Hamas’ military wing al-Qassam Brigades hands over Israeli hostages on Saturday, February 22, 2025. (Ashraf Amra/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Other senior figures killed included Raed Saad, a high-ranking commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, The Times of Israel reported.
Israel announced on December 13 that Saad was killed in a targeted strike after months of tracking his movements through Gaza’s tunnel network.
Israeli security officials described Saad as one of the key planners of the October 7, 2023 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostage.
Hamas also acknowledged the deaths of Mohammed Shabana, the head of its Rafah Brigade, and Hakam al-Issa, a veteran commander and one of the founders of the al-Qassam Brigades.
Israel had said both men were killed in separate airstrikes in Gaza earlier this year, while al-Issa was killed during an attack on the Sabra area of Gaza City.
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President Donald Trump listens to a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his arrival at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, Dec. 29, 2025. (Alex Brandon/AP)
This confirmation came despite a ceasefire that came into effect in October.
Speaking on Monday after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, President Trump also warned that Hamas must soon disarm or face dire consequences.
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“They will be given very little time to disarm,” Trump said.
The President said that if Hamas surrenders its weapons, the next phase of the Gaza peace plan can move forward faster.
