Israel said Saturday it has killed Mohammed Sinwar, the top commander of Hamas’s military wing in Gaza and younger brother of the group’s political leader Yahya Sinwar, in an airstrike earlier this month. The announcement landed hours after Hamas handed mediators its formal response to a U.S.–Egypt–Qatar ceasefire proposal, agreeing to free 10 living Israeli hostages but demanding revisions that Washington immediately branded “totally unacceptable.”

‘Major operational achievement,’ says Israel

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the strike—conducted on 13 May in central Khan Younis—as “a severe blow to Hamas command-and-control.” Mohammed Sinwar, 39, had overseen urban warfare units and tunnel logistics since late 2023, according to the Israel Defense Forces. Analysts say his death could limit Hamas’s battlefield coordination but is unlikely to sway the group’s political calculus, still driven by his brother, who remains at large.

Hamas seeks amendments, permanent truce

In a six-page letter delivered in Doha on Friday night, Hamas offered to release 10 live hostages and the remains of 18 others during an initial 42-day pause, but insisted on U.S. guarantees for:

  • A permanent ceasefire before phase-two hostage releases
  • Complete Israeli troop withdrawal from Gaza
  • A daily average of 600 aid trucks entering the enclave

The group also wants a clause that would bar Israel from resuming military operations if final-status talks drag on.

Washington and Jerusalem push back

U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff called the Hamas revisions “a rejection in all but name,” urging the group to accept the existing 60-day outline that would free roughly half the remaining captives. Netanyahu echoed that view, warning that Israel “will not accept a deal that ties our hands.” Negotiators from Qatar and Egypt, however, said talks remain alive and that “bridging language” is under discussion for a follow-up meeting in Cairo early next week.

Humanitarian toll mounts

Gaza’s health ministry says 54,300 people have been killed since the war began after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack that left 1,200 Israelis dead and 250 taken hostage. U.N. agencies warn that aid deliveries remain far below minimum needs; a convoy of 77 trucks was looted by desperate civilians on Thursday, the latest sign of a collapsing food-distribution system.

What happens next

  • Cairo talks: Mediators hope to reconvene delegations by 3 June if a compromise text can be drafted.
  • Military picture: The IDF says operations in Rafah will “intensify” regardless of diplomacy, while officials hint at more targeted strikes on Hamas command figures.
  • Diplomatic pressure: The U.S. and EU foreign ministers meet in Brussels Monday, with Gaza aid and the ceasefire impasse atop the agenda.

Whether Mohammed Sinwar’s death weakens Hamas or hardens its stance remains unclear. For now, the war grinds on, hostage families wait, and a ceasefire still hangs on a narrowing sliver of diplomatic room.