In a dramatic escalation of its campaign against Hamas, Israel launched a daring airstrike on Tuesday aimed at one of the group’s top military commanders, right under a hospital.
According to Israeli defence sources, the target was Mohammed Sinwar, a senior Hamas figure and the younger brother of Yahya Sinwar, the former Gaza leader killed earlier in the conflict. Since his brother’s death, Mohammed had reportedly stepped into his shoes, becoming Hamas’s top military leader in Gaza.
But here’s what makes this strike especially explosive: the command centre was hidden beneath the European Hospital in Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza. Yes, a hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) didn’t hold back. Multiple Israeli Air Force jets dropped bunker-busting munitions, specially designed to pierce deep underground, targeting the subterranean Hamas hub. According to Israeli officials, the site wasn’t just a shelter, it was a nerve centre for coordinating terror operations and housed dozens of high-ranking operatives.
As of now, it’s still unclear whether Mohammed Sinwar survived. The IDF and Shin Bet say they are continuing to assess the outcome of the mission.
Images and video flooding social media show heavy damage to the area surrounding the hospital. Meanwhile, Arab media, including Hezbollah-affiliated outlet Al-Mayadeen, reported more than 20 fatalities and over 70 injuries. The Gaza Health Ministry, run by Hamas, claims at least 16 dead and 70 wounded, though their figures don’t differentiate between militants and civilians, and haven’t been independently verified.
The Israeli government was quick to defend the strike. Officials stress that Hamas’s use of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, for military purposes is a violation of international law and puts innocent lives at risk.
“We will not allow Hamas to hide behind hospitals or humanitarian sites,” said Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz. “We will strike its leaders wherever they are hiding until we achieve our war objectives, freeing our hostages and eliminating Hamas’s military capabilities.”
This isn’t the first time the European Hospital has appeared on Israel’s radar. Intelligence reports have long identified it as a Hamas stronghold, a dual-use facility where military command is masked by medical operations.
And the fighting isn’t letting up elsewhere in Gaza, either. In the past 24 hours, the Hamas-run civil defence agency claims 29 people have died in Israeli airstrikes, 25 in Jabalia and four more in Khan Yunis. Again, none of these numbers have been independently confirmed.
Meanwhile, the Khan Yunis Brigade, one of Hamas’s most ideologically entrenched fighting units, continues to resist Israeli advances in the south. Tuesday’s strike could mark a turning point in Israel’s push to dismantle Hamas’s command structure, but only time will tell.
