Israel confirms killing the new Hamas leader.

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have officially confirmed the killing of Hamas leader Muhammad Sinwar in an airstrike carried out earlier this month in the city of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

Sinwar took over Hamas after the IDF killed his brother Yahya Sinwar and senior commander Muhammad Deif in October 2024.

The announcement came as both sides reportedly signaled their willingness to accept a ceasefire proposal brokered by the United States.

According to an IDF statement released on May 31, the attack was carried out on May 13 in coordination with the Shin Bet security agency. The Israeli military said the target was an underground command center operated by Hamas beneath the European Hospital.

"We have killed the Hamas leader, once again. He was also a member of the Sinwar family," the IDF wrote on X.

"The terrorists were neutralized while operating in an underground command and control center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis, deliberately endangering civilians in and around the hospital," the IDF said.

The IDF stated that Sinwar played a "key role in planning and carrying out the brutal massacre on October 7."

Also killed in this operation were Muhammad Shabana, commander of Hamas's Rafah Brigade, and Mehdi Kumara, head of the organization's Khan Younis Battalion.The IDF identified both as key gunmen in the October 7, 2023 attack and as the perpetrators holding Israeli hostages.

Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied Sinwar's death. The militant group has previously denied accusations of using civilian infrastructure as cover. Gaza health officials said at the time that 28 people had died in the May 13 attack.

The attack was reported amid increased Israeli activity in Gaza, following the collapse of an internationally brokered ceasefire in March.

While news reports indicate that both Israel and Hamas have agreed in principle to a new ceasefire framework, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that military operations will continue until Hamas is completely destroyed.

Following the attack on the hospital, he vowed to "go in with full force to complete the operation and free the remaining hostages."