Who Was Muhammad Sinwar? Hamas's 'Shadow' Commander, Alleged October 7 Attack Mastermind

Muhammad Sinwar, Hamas’s top military commander, was reportedly killed in an Israeli airstrike on a Gaza European Hospital bunker in Khan Yunis on May 13, 2025. Saudi reports confirmed his body was found, marking a major blow to Hamas.

Muhammad Sinwar, Key Hamas Commander and Brother of Yahya Sinwar (X/@EliAfriatISR)

Muhammad Sinwar, a senior Hamas commander and younger brother of martyred Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, is thought to have been eliminated in an Israeli air raid early this month. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) asserted on May 13 that Sinwar was hit in a pinpoint bombing of a bunker under the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis. Saudi television network Al-Hadath announced the recovery of his body along with another Hamas commander, Muhammad Shabana.

From Yahya's Shadow To Military Commander

Born in 1975 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp, Muhammad Sinwar came from a family that had left a village close to Ashkelon during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. In 1991, Sinwar joined the military wing of Hamas and soon became a prominent figure. Sinwar was arrested several times — initially by Israeli troops and subsequently by the Palestinian Authority — during the early years of his militant life.

By 2005, Sinwar had assumed command of the Hamas brigade in Khan Yunis. A year later, he was involved in the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who was later released in 2011 in exchange for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including his brother Yahya.

After the demise of Hamas's most senior military commander Muhammad Deif in 2023 and the subsequent Israeli killing of Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Sinwar was apparently appointed de facto head of Hamas's military activities in the Gaza Strip.

Reputed to work "behind the scenes," Sinwar was nicknamed "The Shadow" and was seen as a central strategist and operational leader of the organisation. Israeli security forces had offered a USD 300,000 reward for information leading to his capture.

Mastermind Behind October 7 Attacks

Both Sinwar brothers are thought to have planned the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks against Israel, which initiated the ongoing war in Gaza. Israeli sources attributed Muhammad Sinwar with a key role in planning and carrying out the attack, noting his evolution from being Yahya's subordinate to a military commander in his own right.

A top Israeli intelligence official characterised Sinwar as "a pure terrorist," whose strategic acumen, brutality, and leadership skills ultimately made him a prominent figure in Hamas in his own right apart from his family ties.

Repeated Assassination Attempts

Israeli media indicated that in May 2021 alone, six attempts on Sinwar's life were launched, and he became one of the most attempted targets within Hamas. In 2014, Hamas declared his death in the Israel-Gaza conflict, only to find out later that this was false.

His residence has been reportedly destroyed several times as part of targeted operations, and according to Israeli officials, killing him was a high-priority target, considering how crucial he was to Hamas's development of military capabilities.

With the Gaza war ongoing, Muhammad Sinwar's supposed death — if true — would be a major blow to Hamas's military command structure.