TEL AVIV: The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the killing of a key Hamas military leader. Mohammed Deif, one of Israel’s most wanted Palestinian military figures, was reportedly targeted in a major Israeli airstrike on Gaza’s southern region on July 14.
Despite the attack, which resulted in at least 90 fatalities and 300 injuries, a senior Hamas official stated that Deif survived and is currently “fine,” continuing to oversee the operations of Hamas’s military wing.
Israel’s strike on the al-Mawasi camp, a humanitarian zone in Gaza, was intended to eliminate Deif, who has been at the top of Israel’s most wanted list for years.
In response to claims from Hamas, Israel’s Chief of General Staff, Herzi Halevi, indicated that it is too early to assess the full impact of the attack. Halevi suggested that Hamas may be concealing the true results of the strike.
Deif, a founder of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, has led the group for over two decades and is known for orchestrating attacks that have resulted in numerous Israeli casualties.
Israel has identified him and Hamas Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar as key figures behind the October 7 attack, which killed at least 1,139 people in southern Israel and triggered a large-scale conflict with Gaza.
On the morning of October 7, Hamas released a rare voice recording from Deif, announcing the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation in retaliation for Israeli actions at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Deif, who is rarely seen or heard in public, addressed the situation with a message of defiance, declaring that the time for Israeli aggression against Palestinians has ended.
