- Israel declares Hamas military chief in Gaza dead
Israel has declared one of the leading figures of the Islamic Hamas, Mohammed Deif, dead. "The IDF (Israeli Army) announced that on July 13, 2024, IDF fighter jets attacked in the Khan Yunis region, and analysis of intelligence information confirms that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the attack," the army said in a statement released on Thursday. The attack on Deif took place mid-July.
Israel's army said the attack mid-July west of the city of Khan Yunis targeted the leader of the military Hamas branch. The strike resulted in dozens of casualties. According to Hamas, Deif was not among the dead. "Mohammed Deif is fine and continues to command the resistance against the Israeli enemy," a Hamas official, Ali Barakeh, told the German Press Agency in Beirut at the time.
Deif was considered, along with the late Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran on Wednesday, and Jahya Sinwar, believed to be in the Gaza Strip, as the mastermind behind the large-scale Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
More to follow shortly.
The announcement of Mohammed Deif's alleged death led the International Commission on Human Rights to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death. The Commission is also looking into the possible violation of international humanitarian laws during the attack.
