Overview

Muhammad Sinwar is the head of Logistics and Man Power for Hamas one of the top commanders of Hamas’s military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. He is the younger brother of senior Hamas’s Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar.“Top Hamas commander rumored killed in Gaza,” Times of Israel, July 23, 2014, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/top-hamas-commander-rumored-killed-in-gaza/; “Israel Gaza conflict: Netanyahu says strikes to ‘continue at full force,’” BBC News, May 16, 2021, www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-57131272; “Hamas in Gaza elects ‘Yahya al-Sinwar’ as chief, a man believed to support a harder line against Israel,” TV7 Israel, February 14, 2017, https://www.tv7israelnews.com/hamas-in-gaza-elects-yehya-al-sinwar-as-chief-a-man-believed-to-support-a-harder-line-against-israel/. Israeli authorities suspect Sinwar of direct involvement in the 2006 abduction of Israel Defense Force (IDF) soldier Gilad Shalit, who was held captive in the Gaza Strip until 2011.“Top Hamas commander rumored killed in Gaza,” Times of Israel, July 23, 2014, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/top-hamas-commander-rumored-killed-in-gaza/.

Sinwar previously served as the Qassam Brigades commander in Gaza’s Khan Younis area.“The HAMAS Terror Organization - 2007 update,” Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, May 6, 2008, https://www.gov.il/en/Departments/General/the-hamas-terror-organization-2007-update. On June 25, 2006, Palestinian militants from Hamas and other groups crossed into Israel from Gaza through an underground tunnel and attacked an IDF outpost in Israel. They killed two soldiers and took Shalit hostage.Tim Butcher, “Soldier Kidnapped and Two Killed in Gaza Tunnel Attack,” Telegraph (London), June 26, 2006, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/1522370/Soldier-kidnapped-and-two-killed-in-Gaza-tunnel-attack.html; Steven Erlanger, “Tensions Rise After Israeli Is Kidnapped,” New York Times, June 26, 2006, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/26/world/middleeast/26cnd-mideast.html. Hamas held Shalit captive in Gaza until it negotiated a prisoner exchange with Israel in 2011. Israel accuses Sinwar being one of the raid’s lead planners. Sinwar also reportedly personally held Shalit captive for some time. “Top Hamas commander rumored killed in Gaza,” Times of Israel, July 23, 2014, https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/top-hamas-commander-rumored-killed-in-gaza/. On October 18, 2011, Hamas freed Shalit in exchange for 1,027 Israeli-held prisoners, mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis. Sinwar reportedly insisted the prisoner exchange include his brother, Yahya Sinwar, who was serving a life sentence in Israel. The elder Sinwar was the most senior leader freed in the swap.Jeffrey Heller and Nidal al-Mughrabi, “Israel and Hamas Agree Prisoner Swap to Free Shalit,” Reuters, October 11, 2011, http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/11/us-israel-palestinians-shalit-idUSTRE79A58R20111011; Avi Issacharoff and Aimee Amiga, “Prisoners Deported Under Shalit Deal Arrive in Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and Qatar,” Haaretz (Tel Aviv), October 19, 2011, https://www.haaretz.com/1.5201410; Shlomi Eldar, “How Hamas’ new Gaza leader came to power,” Al-Monitor, February 14, 2017, https://www.al-monitor.com/originals/2017/02/gaza-palestinians-hamas-israel-mohammed-al-deif-yahya-sinwar.html.

Between May 9 and May 20, 2021, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) launched more than 4,000 rockets toward Israel. Israel bombed Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip in retaliation.Seth J. Frantzman, “IRGC head praises Hamas commander Deif as ‘living martyr’ – analysis,” Jerusalem Post, May 20, 2021, https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/irgc-head-praises-hamas-commander-deif-as-living-martyr-analysis-668656; Fares Akram and Joseph Krauss, “Israel unleashes strikes as expectations for truce rise,” Associated Press, May 20, 2021, https://apnews.com/article/gaza-israel-middle-east-israel-palestinian-conflict-caac81bc36fe9be67ac2f7c27000c74b; Anna Ahronheim, “Rocket fire continues despite talk of an imminent ceasefire,” Jerusalem Post, May 20, 2021, https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/rocket-strikes-ashkelon-house-leaving-26-year-old-with-light-injuries-668657; “Hamas says Gaza truce with Israel to begin at 2 a.m on Friday,” Reuters, May 20, 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-cabinet-approves-gaza-truce-yedioth-ahronoth-reporter-says-2021-05-20/. Early on May 16, 2021, Israeli airstrikes targeted Sinwar’s home in Gaza’s Khan Younis. Israel accused Sinwar of conducting terrorist activities from the house, which was empty at the time of the strike. Israel also struck the Gaza home of Yahya Sinwar, which was also empty at the time.“Heavy rocket fire hits center, south; Hamas leader’s home targeted in IAF strike,” Times of Israel, May 16, 2021, https://www.timesofisrael.com/heavy-rocket-fire-hits-center-south-hamas-leaders-home-targeted-in-iaf-strike/. A year later, Sinwar admitted in an interview with Al Jazeera Hamas had attempted to kidnap Israeli soldiers to use as bargaining chips but failed. He also revealed Palestinian militants had set up a joint command center in Gaza during the conflict, holding meetings with Hezbollah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. “Brother of Hamas leader Sinwar: Firing rockets at Tel Aviv as easy as drinking water,” Times of Israel, May 29, 2022, https://www.timesofisrael.com/brother-of-hamas-leader-sinwar-firing-rockets-at-tel-aviv-as-easy-as-drinking-water/.