Israel declares top Hamas man Deif dead
The military chief of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, was reportedly killed in an Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip in mid-July, according to Israel's military. Deif, along with the late Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, was one of the masterminds behind the major Hamas attack on Israel on October 7.
Israel has declared the military chief of the Islamic terror organization Hamas, Mohammed Deif, dead. Deif was reportedly killed in a massive air strike in the Gaza Strip in mid-July, the Israeli army announced. He was one of the central figures behind the terrorist attack on Israel on October 7 and was the commander of the Kassam Brigades and deputy to the Gaza chief of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar.
The army's announcement comes a day after the killing of Hamas' external chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in Tehran. Iran and Hamas blame Israel for the act. Israel has not responded to the accusation and has only stated that anyone who attacks the country will pay a heavy price.
The army stated that Deif's death can be confirmed based on intelligence information. Fighter jets carried out a "precise, targeted strike against a facility where Mohammed Deif and the commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade of Hamas, Rafa Salama, were located" about two weeks ago, the statement said.
Now, Yahya Sinwar is the last surviving senior leader of Hamas, which violently seized sole power in the Gaza Strip in 2007. It is believed that he has been hiding in the tunnel network under the coastal strip since the start of the war.
Israel had set a goal of capturing or killing Hamas chief Sinwar and his deputy Deif in its war in the Gaza Strip. In March, the army confirmed the killing of the third-highest Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, Marwan Issa, in an air strike.
"This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in the Gaza Strip and in achieving the goals of this war," Defense Minister Joav Galant wrote on X about Deif's death. Israel will continue to pursue Hamas terrorists, he reiterated. "We will not rest until this mission is accomplished."
Deif and Sinwar were key planners of the massacre in Israel on October 7 last year, when around 1200 Israelis were killed and around 250 people were kidnapped to Gaza. The terrorist attack triggered the war.
Many dead in attack on Deif
Last month, the Israeli military bombed a fenced-off object in the humanitarian zone between Khan Yunis and Al-Mawasi, which Israel claimed served as a base for Hamas terrorists. According to the health authority controlled by Hamas, 90 people were killed and around 300 injured in the attack.
According to Israeli reports, commander Salama was also among the dead. A high-ranking military representative later told journalists in an online briefing that the army had extremely reliable intelligence that Deif and Salama were at the base at the time of the attack.
In May, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, requested several arrest warrants. Alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Joav Galant, several Hamas leaders - including Sinwar and Deif - were also targeted. Khan is investigating crimes during the Gaza war.
Mohammed Deif has survived numerous assassination attempts by Israel over the years. Until about six months ago, it was believed in the country that he had lost several limbs and had numerous physical disabilities. However, footage eventually emerged showing Deif with both arms and both legs.
In the 1990s, Deif was one of the founders of the military wing of Hamas and led it for decades. Under his command, Hamas carried out dozens of suicide attacks against Israelis in buses and cafes, and built up a vast arsenal of rockets that could reach deep into Israeli territory.
During an airstrike on a house in the Gaza Strip at the end of the 2014 Gaza War, his wife and young son were killed. Deif managed to escape.
The Palestinians, being members of the Gaza Strip, have been affected by the Israeli attacks on key Hamas leaders. The death of Mohammed Deif, a prominent figure in Hamas, has been reported by Israel's military.
The Palestinians, particularly those affiliated with Hamas, are facing intense scrutiny and military action from Israel, with leaders like Mohammed Deif being targeted.
