A senior Hamas official said the Palestinian militant group cannot be eliminated with the killing of its leaders but stopped short of confirming the death of its chief, Yahya Sinwar.

“Hamas is a liberation movement led by people looking for freedom and dignity, and this cannot be eliminated,” Basem Naim, senior member of Hamas’s political bureau, told AFP.

In a statement, he listed several Hamas leaders killed in the past and said their deaths had boosted the group’s popularity

“It seems that Israel believes that killing our leaders means the end of our movement and the struggle of the Palestinian people,” Naim said.

“Hamas each time became stronger and more popular, and these leaders became an icon for future generations to continue the journey toward a free Palestine.”