In December, a brief video from a 4-kilometer-long (2.5-mile-long) mega-tunnel revealed, for the first time, an image of one of Gaza’s most wanted figures: Mohammed Sinwar, the younger brother of slain Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
Since the deaths of senior Hamas military commanders, including Mohammed Deif and Marwan Issa, Mohammed Sinwar has emerged as the de facto second-in-command of Hamas’ leadership in Gaza, propelled by the unwavering support of his brother.
Mohammed Sinwar seen driving through Hamas mega-tunnel
(Video: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Mohammed Sinwar, 49, was born in Khan Younis and was among the earliest recruits to Hamas, participating in acts of terror during the First Intifada. He was imprisoned in Israel for nine months and later spent three years in a Palestinian Authority prison, escaping in 2000. A Gaza source noted that Sinwar grew up under the ideological influence of Hamas co-founder Abd al-Aziz al-Rantisi.
The Sinwar brothers share much in common, including the nickname “Abu Ibrahim,” given to both after their first sons, named after their father, Ibrahim. Mohammed Sinwar became a trusted confidant of Yahya, one of the few who knew his whereabouts during nearly a year of war. His family ties provided him with a smooth path to the top of Hamas, with no suspicions from within the organization of disloyalty.
Mohammed Sinwar’s role was first revealed by Hamas in 2005 when the group broke from its tradition of secrecy and disclosed the identities of seven commanders leading attacks against Israelis and IDF forces. Sinwar was named among them as the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade.
At the time, Israel reportedly made three assassination attempts on him—through sniper fire, a double airstrike on his home and an explosive device in the wall of his house, which he uncovered.
One of Sinwar's most significant operations was orchestrating the abduction of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, an event that eventually led to the prisoner exchange deal in which his brother Yahya was freed.
At the time of the abduction, Mohammed Sinwar served as the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, conditioning Shalit’s release on the freedom of his brother Yahya, who would later rise to lead Hamas before his death.
Loyalty over ability
"Mohammed became a significant player in Hamas' military wing. When Yahya Sinwar was in Israeli prison, he trusted that Mohammed had control over Shalit. Today, it’s clear that Mohammed’s status within the military wing grew due to his proximity to Yahya—who believes in specific people," said Dr. Yuval Biton, former head of the Intelligence Division in Israel's prison service who knew Yahya well. "Yahya doesn’t look at abilities; he looks at loyalty, and that’s what drove Mohammed’s rise in Hamas."
Biton explained that Yahya Sinwar likely sought to consolidate power by surrounding himself with trusted figures in the leadership, allowing him to make decisions without opposition.
"As we approached the Shalit deal, the Sinwar brothers opposed it—even though Yahya’s name was at the top of the release list. Yahya pushed Mohammed to convince the leadership to reject the deal, but Saleh al-Arouri and Khaled Mashal supported it and ultimately overruled the Sinwars," Biton said, referencing a historical moment that led to Yahya’s eventual leadership of Hamas following the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh.
Israel has made repeated attempts on Mohammed Sinwar’s life over the years. His home was bombed during Operation Pillar of Defense in 2012, and again in Operation Protective Edge in 2014, though he was not there.
During the latter operation, rumors circulated that Sinwar had been killed, with images claiming to show his dead body. However, Sinwar remained elusive, and his name faded from public view until May 2022. Al Jazeera reported that he had not attended his father’s funeral in January 2022, leading some media outlets to refer to him as “the one who returned from the dead.”
In May 2022, Sinwar reemerged in a brief 30-second interview with Al Jazeera, appearing as a silhouette—a technique used for years by Mohammed Deif. "When we issue warnings to the occupation or send a message, we mean every word, and every letter has weight and impact on the ground," Sinwar said.
"Precise and focused efforts have been made to establish this, and important equations have been set. When we say this, we know how to identify the occupation’s soft spots and how to press them. We have succeeded in setting important equations, and the enemy calculates its actions accordingly."
'People would look at the ground when he walked by'
Mohammed Sinwar, often referred to as "the man who returned from the dead," has instilled fear among Gaza’s population on multiple occasions. Known for his charismatic yet harsh and intimidating persona, Sinwar commands respect but also terror.
“He’s feared as a man capable of killing without hesitation. This family is known for its hot temper, and Mohammed, in particular, is a frightening figure,” said a source in Gaza.
After his brother Yahya was released from Israeli prison in the 2011 Shalit deal, Mohammed’s influence grew. “Yahya only understands power, and that’s Mohammed’s legacy too. He has been involved in numerous executions of collaborators, as well as brutal interrogations and torture in Hamas prisons,” the source added, describing the Sinwar brothers’ role in internal purges before the current war. “When Mohammed scolds someone, they are paralyzed with fear. No one in Gaza dares to cross him.”
The source noted that people were so terrified of Mohammed Sinwar that they avoided eye contact with him. “People would look at the ground when he walked by, afraid of how he might interpret even a glance.”
Mohammed Sinwar is also accused of overseeing harsh torture in Hamas prisons, along with his brother Yahya. One high-profile case involved the former Hamas commander of the Zeitoun Brigade, Mohammed Shetawi, who was executed in February 2016 for moral offenses.
Shetawi was reportedly suspected of collaborating with Israel, potentially providing information that led to an assassination attempt on Mohammed Deif. Another version of events, presented by a different Hamas operative, suggests that Shetawi was executed after he criticized Yahya Sinwar in a security report for operational mistakes that led to the deaths of Hamas leaders. Shetawi was later accused of having relationships with the widows of those killed. Either way, Shetawi was executed under the Sinwar brothers' orders after enduring brutal torture.
Inside Hamas' mega-tunnel
Mohammed Sinwar played a key role in orchestrating Hamas’ October 7 surprise attack on Israel, making him one of the most wanted figures in Gaza. Considered one of the architects of the massacre, Sinwar has now likely succeeded Mohammed Deif, further sharpening the target on his back.
In December, two months into the war, the IDF released rare footage showing Sinwar traveling in a jeep with bodyguards through a massive tunnel network, discovered just hundreds of yards from the Israeli community of Netiv HaAsara and the Erez crossing. He was reportedly receiving a briefing from a team of engineers and tunnel diggers, brought in from Khan Younis for the ambitious tunnel project, and toured the tunnel’s twists and turns.
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flyers dropped over Gaza by IDF offering bounties for senior Hamas leaders, including Mohammed Deif, Rafa Salama and the Sinwar brothers
In response, the IDF distributed flyers in Gaza, offering a $300,000 reward for information leading to Sinwar’s capture—$100,000 less than the bounty on his brother Yahya. The flyer also featured Rafa Salama, the Khan Younis Brigade commander, and Mohammed Deif, both killed in Israeli airstrikes in July. Salama had a $200,000 bounty on his head, while Deif's was $100,000. In February, IDF forces raided and completely destroyed Mohammed Sinwar’s office at the Al-Qadisiyah post in Khan Younis.
Mohammed Sinwar’s current status remains unclear. While IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi has not named him among the top Hamas leaders, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant did publicly single him out, alongside his brother Yahya, during a visit to the Netzarim Corridor in central Gaza last month.
"We will eliminate Hamas, and we will reach Mohammed Sinwar, as well as Yahya Sinwar. We will get to all of these people, these cursed terrorists," Gallant declared. "For anyone who thinks otherwise, look at Marwan Issa and Mohammed Deif. They thought they were invincible, and they are no longer with us. They made their mistake, and he will make his too. We will complete our mission."
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