Israel Confirms Mohammed Deif Killed in July Airstrike

Jerusalem, 1 August, 2024 (TPS) -- Israel has confirmed that Hamas’s top commander, Mohammed Deif, was killed in a July airstrike, the Israel Defense Forces said on Thursday.

Deif and another high-level commander, Rafa’a Salameh, were in a fenced-off Hamas compound within the Mawasi humanitarian zone when it was hit by Israeli aircraft on July 13.

The army said the confirmation was based on new intelligence and released new footage of the airstrike.

The 58-year-old Deif has been the overall commander of Hamas’s armed forces for 20 years. He, along with Hamas’s Gaza strongman, Yahya Sinwar, were the architects of the terror group’s October 7 attack on Israeli communities near the Gaza border. Deif has been at the top of Israel’s wanted list for decades for his involvement in deadly bombings dating back to the 1990s.

Deif’s real family name is Masri, but he is known as Deif, which is Arabic for “guest” — a reference to his life on the run. During the 1990s and early 2000s, Deif masterminded numerous suicide bombing attacks, then moved on to oversee Hamas’s rocket attacks and tunnel warfare. He helped plan and gave final approval to the October 7 attacks.

The elusive Deif survived seven previous Israel assassination attempts.

Fragmented Leadership

Fragmented by the killing of senior figures, Hamas is being forced into survival mode.

Aiming to preserve its power, Hamas divided the Gaza Strip into two new command sectors – the north, commanded by Izz al-Din Haddad, and the south commanded by Mohammad Sinwar, brother of Gaza strongman Yahya Sinwar. Muhammad Shabana commands Hamas forces in Rafah, the terror group’s last stronghold, and is under Sinwar.

The head of Hamas’s politburo, Ismail Haniyeh, was assassinated in Tehran on Wednesday. The attack is widely attributed to Israel, which has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement.

Other senior figures eliminated so far include Marwan Issa (Hamas’s No. 3 man) and Salah Arouri (key strategist who directed terror operations in Judea and Samaria), Ahmed Ehandor (commander of the Northern Division), Iman Nofal (commander of Central Gaza Brigade) among others, and most recently, Rafa’a Salameh (commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade). The fate of Raed Saad (head of the operations division in Gaza) remains unknown after he was targeted in an airstrike in June.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 115 remaining hostages, 39 have been declared dead. Hamas has also been holding captive two Israeli civilians since 2014 and 2015, and the bodies of two soldiers killed in 2014.