Israel’s military has confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the military chief of Hamas, following an air strike on a Gaza Strip compound last month. The attack occurred on July 13 in Khan Younis, a city in southern Gaza. Despite the Israeli military’s confirmation, Hamas has yet to officially acknowledge Deif’s death.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have stated that Deif was a key figure in orchestrating the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages. On Thursday, the IDF released a statement confirming that “following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated” in the air strike.
Hamas-run health authorities in Gaza reported that over 90 people were killed in the strike but denied that Deif was among the casualties.
Deif was known to be the second-ranking Hamas official in Gaza, after Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in the territory. He was also the head of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant described Deif’s death as “a significant milestone” in the effort to dismantle Hamas. “This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated,” Gallant said.
Deif had been one of Israel’s most wanted individuals for decades and reportedly survived seven assassination attempts. Born in the Khan Younis refugee camp in 1965, Deif became involved with Hamas in the 1980s. He was accused of planning and overseeing multiple attacks, including bus bombings in 1996 and the abduction and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s. Deif was also instrumental in developing the tunnel network used by Hamas fighters to infiltrate Israel from Gaza
In 2002, Deif assumed leadership of Hamas’s military wing. In 2014, an Israeli air strike targeted his home, resulting in the deaths of his wife, Widad and his infant son, Ali. Deif survived the attack, though Israel believed he was killed. During the current conflict, Deif was reportedly directing operations from within underground tunnels in Gaza.
The confirmation of Deif’s death comes amid heightened tensions and violence in the region. This week, the conflict has escalated significantly. On Saturday, a rocket strike in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights killed 12 Israeli children and young people. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed the attack to Hezbollah, vowing retaliation.
In response, Israel conducted an air strike in Beirut, killing senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and four others, including two children. Additionally, Hamas’s political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed in a strike in Tehran on Tuesday during a visit to Iran’s capital.
The recent developments underscore the intensifying and complex nature of the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, with significant implications for regional stability.
Melissa Enoch
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