Israeli combat aircraft bombarded the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Tuesday night in an attempt to kill Muhammad Sinwar, one of Hamas’ main leaders in the enclave, according to three Israeli officials.
The three officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
Almost at the same time, the Israeli army said their forces had hit a Hamas command center under the European hospital near Khan Younis. An Israeli military spokeswoman refused to say if Mr. Sinwar had attacked in that strike. The Ministry of Health in Gaza said that at least six people had been killed in the hospital strike, with at least another 40 wounds.
Smoke pillars at the hospital after bombing, according to the videos of the scene that were verified by the New York Times. It was not clear if the hospital buildings had been damaged in the strike.
Saleh Al-Hams, a European hospital doctor, said the bombing had shaken the complex, terrorizing doctors and patients inside. “All our appeals to the world were not at all,” he said in a phone call.
Israeli officials have accused Hamas of operating from the hospitals of Gaza, claims corroborated by some Palestinians in Gaza, as well as some ex -Israeli hostages who have said they were heroes heroes there. Hamas, as well as hospital officials, have denied accusations.
Israel has threatened another great military offensive in the Gaza Strip unless Hamas place their weapons and delivers to the 20 living hostages that it still has, along with around another 40. Hamas leaders have refused to disarm, and added that they will not free the captives unless Israel ends the war.
Mr. Sinwar is believed to be one of the highest military commanders of Hamas that remain in Gaza after more than a year and a half or a devastating war with Israel. She is Yahya Sinwar’s younger brother, Hamas leader killed by Israeli forces last year and who had teacher the attacks of October 7, 2023 who triggered war.
Through the war, Israel has repeatedly sought to eliminate the hierarchy of Hamas, eliminating not only Yahya Sinwar, but also Muhammad Deif, the head of his military wing; Ismail Haniyeh, the political chief of the group; And many others.
However, repeated murders have not yet forced Hamas to accept Israel’s terms for a high fire. Two of Israeli officials said that by eliminating Mr. Sinwar from the youngest and most hard line, they hoped to eliminate a particularly uncompromising negotiator.
Mr. Sinwar was serving as Head of Operations in the Military Wing of Hamas when the militant group launched the 2023 attack against Israel. Since his brother’s death, he has assumed a more prominent role in Hamas, particularly in southern Gaza.
If the young Mr. Sinwar has been killed, the experiences suggest that Hamas may be less willing to compromise in the short term, while power is more Malyable in the long term. After Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in October, for example, Hamas announced that his resolution had been strengthened. Three months later, the group agreed a truce.
But it could spend some time before there is clarity about the destiny of Muhammad Sinwar. However, through this war, the Israeli army often has a week of tasks to confirm the death of an objective, while Hamas sometimes has tasks that do so. Israel announced the death of Mr. Deif last August, more than two weeks after killing him in a strike in July. Hamas did not recognize his destination until January.
Mr. Sinwar has opposed the commitments with Israel in fire cessation negotiations, according to the two Israeli officials and an intelligence official of the Middle East, who spoke under condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
He firmly opposed Israel’s demand that Hamas left his weapons, as well as some members of the group’s leadership outside Gaza urged an average road, added the Middle East official. Mr. Sinwar also rejected the Israeli sacrifices or exiles of Gaza as part of a truce, said the official.
Like other Hamas commanders, it is believed that Mr. Sinwar has spent much of the war underground in an effort to evade Israeli air attacks.
But in recent months, Mr. Sinwar had seen his leg on the earth in Khan Younis at least three times, even at the Nasser hospital and an apartment known as Hamad City, said the intelligence official of the Middle East.
Julian E. Barnes” Tolerant and Johnatan Reiss Contributed reports.
