- Israel confirms killing Hamas military chief Deif
- Deif linked to October 7 attack planning
- Hamas disputes Deif’s death in July strike
Israel’s military claims it has confirmed that Hamas’ military chief, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an air attack in Gaza last month.
Deif was targeted in a strike on a compound in Khan Younis on July 13. Hamas has yet to confirm his death.
Israel claims Deif was a crucial figure in the preparation of the October 7 attacks in southern Israel, which murdered 1,200 people.
Israel’s declaration follows the assassinations of Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran and senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in an Israeli air attack on Beirut.
The Israeli military stated that “following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated” in the July 13 strike.
Gaza’s Hamas-run health authorities said at the time that the air strike killed more than 90 individuals but disputed that Deif was among them.
Mohammed Deif led the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military arm.
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He was imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 1989, and he later founded the Brigades to capture Israeli soldiers.
Israel accused him of organizing and managing bus explosions that killed tens of Israelis in 1996, as well as being involved in the arrest and assassination of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s.
He is also believed to have aided in the design of tunnels that allowed Hamas fighters to enter Israel from Gaza.
