The Israeli military has confirmed that Mohammed Deif death, the military chief of Hamas, was killed during an airstrike in the Gaza Strip in July. During the July 13 attack on a facility in Khan Younis, Deif was especially targeted. Despite Israel’s confirmation, Hamas has yet to acknowledge his death.
Deif was implicated as a mastermind behind the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and 251 hostages. Concurrently, Hamas political figure Ismail Haniyeh was eliminated during an Iran visit, though Israel has not officially addressed his death.
After the attacks in October, Israel launched a massive military campaign in Gaza with the goal of destroying Hamas. According to reports from Gaza’s health ministry, which is under Hamas control, at least 39,480 people have died.
“Based on an intelligence evaluation, we can affirm Mohammed Deif was neutralized in the July 13 airstrike,” the Israeli military said on Thursday. At first, Deif was not listed among the approximately ninety casualties of the strike reported by Gaza’s health authorities.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s minister of defense, said that Deif’s passing marks a turning point in the organization of Hamas. He said, “This operation underscores Hamas’s fragmentation; its militants face the choice of capitulation or annihilation.”
Mohammed Deif’s Legacy
Hamas’s military wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, was led by Mohammed Deif. He was one of Israel’s top targets for many years, having escaped several attempts against his life, including one in 2002 that left him missing an eye. After being taken prisoner by the Israelis in 1989, Deif joined the Brigades and worked to capture Israeli soldiers.
Israel accused Deif of planning bus bombs in 1996 that resulted in the deaths of many Israelis and of taking part in the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli soldiers in the middle of the 1990s. Additionally, he was instrumental in the construction of tunnels that allowed Hamas fighters to get into Israel from Gaza.
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