Gaza City, Gaza - Hamas confirmed on Thursday the death of its military chief Mohammed Deif, accused by Israel of being one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack and whose killing it announced last year.

"The Al-Qassam Brigades announce to our great people the martyrdom of a group of distinguished fighters and heroic commanders," Abu Obeida, spokesman for Hamas' armed wing, announced in a video statement, naming "commander Mohammed Deif, chief of staff of the Al-Qassam Brigades [and] commander Marwan Issa, deputy chief of staff" among them.

Israel had accused Deif of being one of the key architects of October 7, along with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed on October 16, 2024.

On August 1 last year, the Israeli military announced it had killed Deif in an air strike in Gaza the month before.

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The military said fighter jets had struck Khan Yunis on July 13, and "following an intelligence assessment; it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike."

He was killed along with one of his top commanders, Rafa Salama, the military said.

"Deif initiated, planned, and executed the October 7th massacre," the military added.

In May, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court requested a warrant for his arrest, along with Sinwar, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Until Thursday, Hamas had not confirmed his death.