The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed on the 8th (local time) that it had recovered the body of Muhammad Shinwar, the top leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The Israel Defense Forces spokesperson’s office announced in a statement that "the body of Muhammad Shinwar was identified in the underground tunnel of the European Hospital in Khan Younis after operations led by the Southern Command and the identification process."
The Israel military authorities also released related video materials and documents.
Israel stated, "During the tunnel search process, we discovered additional personal belongings of Muhammad Shabana, the commander of the Hamas Rafah Brigade, along with Shinwar, which are currently being analyzed."
The Israel Defense Forces carried out a special operation in collaboration with the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet on the 13th. They explained that they eliminated Shinwar, Shabana, and others who were hiding in the Hamas operational command center established in the basement of the hospital.
During the attack, Israeli Air Force fighter jets dropped more than 50 precision-guided missiles within 30 seconds of operation approval. Even after completing the initial bombing, the Israel Defense Forces continued to bomb the area to prevent Hamas members from trying to rescue the injured Shinwar.
Muhammad Shinwar is the younger brother of Yahya Shinwar, the top political leader of Hamas. His brother Yahya Shinwar was the one who designed and commanded Hamas's large-scale surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. He was killed in an operation conducted by the Israel Defense Forces last year.
Subsequently, the position of the top leader in the Gaza Strip was inherited by his brother Muhammad Shinwar.