Following the high-profile Israeli strike aimed at eliminating Hamas commander Muhammad Sinwar, Defense Minister Yisroel Katz issued a stern message to the terror group’s leadership: Israel will not cease its pursuit until all hostages are freed and Hamas is decisively defeated.
On Wednesday morning, Katz addressed the operation, as assessments within the Israeli defense establishment increasingly point to a successful outcome — with growing indications that Sinwar was indeed killed.
“We will not allow the Hamas terror organization to use hospitals and humanitarian facilities in Gaza as safe havens and terror command centers,” declared Katz. “We will hunt them and their leaders down and strike them with force wherever they are.”
Katz confirmed that both he and Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu had given the green light to the IDF on Tuesday to carry out a strike on an underground Hamas facility located beneath the Nasser Hospital in Gaza, which intelligence indicated was being used as a command post for top Hamas operatives.
“This operation,” he said, “was executed based on intelligence provided by the IDF and Shin Bet.”
He added, “The Hamas terror group continues to use hospitals and other humanitarian sites in Gaza as operational cover, endangering the civilian population and committing war crimes. We will continue to act with full force until all of our military objectives are achieved: the release of all hostages and the total defeat of Hamas.”
During the targeted strike, Israeli fighter jets reportedly dropped approximately 40 bunker-busting bombs, weighing around one ton in total. The operation in Khan Younis was approved about an hour before execution by IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and Defense Minister Katz.
Senior Israeli officials stated that if Sinwar was indeed eliminated, it could significantly impact ongoing hostage negotiations. Sinwar has been viewed as a major obstacle in the talks, often adopting a hardline stance that blocked progress.
According to the IDF and Shin Bet, the strike utilized precision weaponry, aerial surveillance, and additional intelligence sources to maximize effectiveness and minimize collateral damage.
Later in the day, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit released footage from the site, confirming the destruction of Hamas’s underground terror infrastructure located beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.
Sinwar has long been regarded as one of the most powerful and influential figures within Hamas, playing a central role in both military and political strategy. He is directly responsible for the group’s operational decisions in Gaza, including the management of the ongoing conflict with Israel.
Because of his seniority and absolute control over Hamas in the Strip, Sinwar has also been a key figure in handling the hostage situation, from dictating release conditions to managing negotiations with international mediators.
{Matzav.com Israel}