Death of Hamas military leader Deif in July air strike confirmed, Israel says
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Mohammed Deif is believed to have been one of the masterminds of Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on southern Israel.
PHOTO: AFP
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JERUSALEM - The head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an Israeli air strike in Gaza in July, the Israeli military said on Aug 1, a day after the group’s political leader was assassinated in Tehran.
“The IDF (Israel Defence Forces) announces that on July 13, 2024, IDF fighter jets struck in the area of Khan Younis, and following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike,” the military said.
Deif is believed to have been one of the masterminds of Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on southern Israel,
Hamas neither confirmed nor denied the killing of Deif, but one official, Ezzat Rashaq, said any word on deaths of its leaders was its responsibility alone.
“Unless either of them (the Hamas political and military leadership) announces it, no news published in the media or by any other parties can be confirmed,” Rashaq said.
The Israeli announcement came as crowds gathered in the Iranian capital for the funeral procession of Hamas’ leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Iran and Hamas have blamed Haniyeh’s killing on Israel, which has neither denied nor confirmed a role in the assassination. Israel did, however, confirm it killed a senior commander of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in Beirut on July 30.
Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran. The latest killings have raised concern of a further escalation in hostilities in the Middle East, with threats of revenge against Israel, which has said it does not seek regional war but that it would respond forcefully to any attack.
On Aug 1, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said Haniyeh’s death would not weaken the group’s fighters
“Despite the crime, Hamas remains strong and the confrontation in Gaza is continuing,” he said.
But his death was the latest in a series that has targeted the group’s leaders. Haniyeh’s deputy, Saleh al-Arouri, was killed in a drone strike in Beirut
The US confirmed Issa’s death in an Israeli operation. Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied his death.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Deif’s death was a milestone in Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas’ military wing, known as Al-Qassam Brigades.
“Hamas is disintegrating,” Mr Gallant said on social media platform X. “Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated.”
One of Hamas’ most dominant figures, Deif rose through the group’s ranks over 30 years, developing its network of tunnels and its bomb-making expertise.
He has topped Israel's most wanted list for decades, held personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
The other mastermind of the Oct 7 attack, Yahya Sinwar, is believed to still be directing military operations, possibly from bunkers beneath Gaza, while playing a leading role in indirect negotiations with Israel for a prisoner swop deal. But now on the 300th day of warfare in Gaza, hopes for a hostage deal and ceasefire have dimmed.
The war erupted when militants led by Hamas stormed southern Israel on Oct 7, killing 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and taking around 250 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
The Gaza Health Ministry says more than 39,400 people, most of them civilians, have been killed in the subsequent Israeli offensive. The ministry does not distinguish between militants and civilians in its fatality reports.
Israel has lost 329 soldiers in Gaza and says around a third of the Palestinian dead are fighters.
On Aug 1, the Israeli military said it struck dozens of Hamas targets in Gaza, including fighters and infrastructure. At least 13 people had been killed in the Israeli bombardments across the enclave, Gaza medics said.
An Israeli missile that hit a vehicle at the entrance of Al-Maghazi district in central Gaza killed six people and five more were killed in a strike on a house in nearby Nusseirat, medics said, while an air strike in Gaza City killed two others.
East of Al-Maghazi, residents said tanks were firing as they tried to push deeper into the area.
Earlier, the Israeli authorities released 15 Palestinians whom they had detained in the past months in Gaza. The men arrived for treatment at a Gaza hospital, complaining of abuse during their detention. Israel denies torture and is investigating suspected abuse of detainees. REUTERS
