Israel Confirms Death Of Hamas Military Chief In July Strike

Israel confirmed that Hamas’s military chief, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip on 13 July.

Deif was involved in the 7 October attacks in southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages. Hamas has yet to confirm his death.

Ismaeel Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, was murdered on Wednesday while on a visit to Iran. Israel has not directly addressed his passing.

“following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated”

On Thursday, The Israeli military confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in a July 13 air strike, killing over 90 people in Gaza. Although Hamas has not confirmed it.

Deif was the second-ranking Hamas official in the territory, behind Yahya Sinwar.

Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, praised Deif’s death as a significant milestone in the dismantling of Hamas, stating that the strike had killed over 90 people.

Gallant said “This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated.” 

For decades he was one of Israel’s most wanted men

Mohammed Deif, the head of the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was one of Israel’s most wanted men for decades.

Born in Gaza’s Khan Yunis refugee camp in 1965, he joined Hamas in the 1980s and quickly rose to prominence. 

Israel accused him of planning and supervising bus bombings in 1996 and involvement in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s.

Deif, a key figure in Hamas’s military wing, is known for engineering tunnels that allowed Hamas fighters to enter Israel from Gaza.

In 2002, he became the leader of Hamas’s military wing. In 2014, Israel attempted to kill Deif, resulting in the deaths of his wife, Widad, and their infant son, Ali.

Currently, Deif is believed to have directed Hamas’ military operations from underground tunnels within Gaza.

Week of conflict in Israel-Gaza

The confirmation of Deif’s death comes after a week of conflict in Israel-Gaza, causing fears of a regional war. On Saturday, 12 Israeli children and young people were killed in the Golan Heights, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blaming Lebanon-based Hezbollah. 

On Tuesday, Israel launched an air strike on Beirut, killing senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr and four others, including two children. 

Later, Hamas’s political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed in a strike.

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