On May 13, 2025, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a major operation in the Gaza Strip, carrying out an airstrike on an underground command center of the Palestinian group Hamas, located beneath the European Hospital in the city of Khan Yunis. According to the Israeli military, the target of the attack was a key Hamas infrastructure facility, where Muhammad Sinwar, the younger brother of the group’s slain leader Yahya Sinwar and the current leader of Hamas in Gaza, was believed to be hiding. The operation, reported by Israeli media and users of the X platform, underscores Israel’s determination to continue the fight against Hamas despite international criticism and the humanitarian crisis in the region.

The IDF used precision-guided munitions, including bunker busters, to destroy the underground complex, which intelligence indicated served as a planning headquarters for Hamas operations, Haaretz reported. Israeli security sources cited by The Times of Israel said Muhammad Sinwar may have been in the tunnels beneath the hospital at the time of the strike, although his death has not yet been confirmed.

Born in 1975 in the Khan Younis refugee camp, Muhammad Sinwar became the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip after the death of his brother Yahya in October 2024. He has survived six assassination attempts and is considered an experienced commander who played a key role in Hamas operations during the Second Intifada and the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, according to The Wall Street Journal. The younger Sinwar rarely appears publicly, making him difficult to track, but Israeli intelligence agencies consider him a priority target, believing that eliminating him would weaken the group.