Israel says Hamas's military wing chief killed in airstrike last month

The Israeli military said Thursday that Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas's military wing, was killed last month in an airstrike.

Deif was believed to be one of the top militants behind the Oct. 7 assault on southern Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza and left more than 1,200 people dead. About 250 others were taken captive.

The military official was also thought to have escaped or survived multiple assassination attempts and had not been seen in public in years.