Gaza – June 5, 2025 – The Israeli military has confirmed the death of senior Hamas commander Mohammad Sinwar, marking the latest blow to the militant group’s elite leadership team responsible for orchestrating the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
Sinwar’s body was identified following an airstrike in May, Israeli officials announced. His death follows the earlier killings of other key figures within Hamas’s clandestine “War Council,” effectively ending the core group that masterminded the attack that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza.
The War Council—also referred to as the Quintet Council—consisted of five senior Hamas operatives who operated under extreme secrecy. Meetings were rare and communications were conducted via secure channels and intermediaries to avoid surveillance.
Four Members Dead, One Incapacitated
The known members of the War Council were:
- Mohammed Deif, military chief and architect of the October 7 attack, killed in July 2024
- Yahya Sinwar, political leader of Hamas in Gaza, killed in a firefight in October 2024
- Mohammad Sinwar, senior commander and Deif’s close associate, confirmed dead in May 2025
- Marwan Issa, Deif’s deputy and political-military liaison, killed in March 2024
- An unnamed fifth member, believed to have managed Hamas’s internal security, is reportedly incapacitated and no longer operational
The October 7 assault stunned the world with its scale and brutality. While Hamas spent years preparing for the offensive, its long-term strategy remains unclear. Observers have described the operation as a politically suicidal gamble that lacked an exit plan and led to widespread devastation in Gaza.
Strategic Collapse and Unanswered Questions
The War Council’s collapse raises difficult questions about Hamas’s leadership structure and long-term goals. With most of its core planners now dead or incapacitated, the group faces a strategic vacuum, disrupted command chains, and mounting internal pressure.
What remains unknown are the motivations behind the high-risk assault. Analysts have speculated whether it was a bid to shift regional dynamics, provoke a broader conflict, or simply an act of desperation under siege.
Future Uncertain for Hamas
The decimation of the War Council leaves Hamas at a crossroads. Its military infrastructure has been crippled, political leaders have gone underground, and internal control within Gaza has eroded.
The leadership vacuum could spark fragmentation within Hamas or fuel the rise of more radical factions. Alternatively, it could open the door for new Palestinian leadership seeking to navigate a post-war future.
As the dust settles, the War Council’s legacy remains contested: seen by some as a symbol of resistance, and by others as the authors of catastrophic miscalculation.
