The killing of Mohammed Sinwar marks the end of the secretive group that planned the 7 October 2023 attack on Israel.

The family of a Nepali man taken captive by the Palestinian militant group Hamas has appealed to his captors for his release, stressing that he has no involvement in the conflict in Gaza.

After more than 600 days of war and years of being steered by the brothers Yahya and Mohammed Sinwar, Hamas has a new leader in the Gaza Strip.

The confirmation of Mr Sinwar’s death changes little in and of itself. Hamas has already appointed a replacement and it has weathered the killings of many of its bosses. But it could shift the balance within the movement’s leadership, formerly dominated by Gazans, just as Israel once again increases pressure on the coastal strip.

The Israeli military says it detained Hamas members during an operation in southern Syria. A local TV station in Syria reported that a force of about 100 Israeli troops stormed the southern Syrian village of Beit Jin near the border with Lebanon early Thursday,

The military said that Hamas embedded the weapon production facility in close proximity to a medical site, and that the medical site was not damaged during the strike.

The Palestinian death toll from the 20-month Israel-Hamas war passed 55,000, the Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday, and hospitals said at least 21 people were killed while on their way to aid distribution sites.

As Abu Shabab and his militia continue to fend off the allegations, Basem Naim, Hamas Political Bureau member and spokesperson, asserted that the group had little influence in Gaza, marking an apparent blow to Israel's efforts to challenge Hamas' rule in the territory.