CAIRO — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed the killing of Mohammed Sinwar, a top Hamas military commander and younger brother of slain leader Yahya Sinwar, in a speech before parliament on Wednesday.

Though no confirmation has come from Hamas, Netanyahu’s remarks appear to confirm Israeli media reports that Sinwar was the target of a May 13 airstrike in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

Mohammed Sinwar was one of the last high-ranking Hamas leaders still believed to be operating inside Gaza.

As a senior figure in the Qassam Brigades and a member of Hamas’ joint chiefs of staff, Sinwar played a key role in military planning and strategy, including the infamous 2006 raid that led to the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit.

His death, if verified, would deal another blow to Hamas’ leadership following the deaths of Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, and Yahya Sinwar over the past 19 months of war.

Netanyahu included Sinwar’s name among a list of prominent Hamas figures Israel claims to have eliminated.

However, the Israeli military has not officially confirmed the identity of those killed in the May 13 strike, which reportedly targeted a Hamas command center beneath the European Hospital in Khan Younis.

At least six people died in the bombing, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Born in 1975 in the Khan Younis refugee camp, Mohammed Sinwar was raised in a family displaced by the 1948 war.

He joined Hamas’ ranks shortly after its founding and rose to become one of its most influential military figures.

He was considered a trusted associate of Mohammed Deif and reportedly had advance knowledge of the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack that triggered the current conflict. — Agencies