Hamas commander Mohammed Deif has been killed in an airstrike, the Israeli military said, just a day after group leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran. "IDF fighter jets struck in the area of Khan Yunis, and following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike," the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.
The one-eyed Hamas commander was reportedly killed on July 13, with confirmation coming Thursday following the death of Hamas' political chief, who was hit by an 'airborne projectile' in Tehran. Israel has not taken responsibility for Haniyeh's death but Iran issued a threat on Wednesday to avenge his killing.
Bin Laden of Gaza Killed
Israel believes that Deif, the head of Hamas' military wing, and Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza, were the main planners of the October 7 attack that killed around 1,200 people in southern Israel and ignited the Israel-Hamas war. Sinwar is believed to be still in hiding in Gaza.
Israel has neither confirmed nor denied its involvement in Tuesday's strike in Tehran that killed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' political chief. Hamas has said that Deif survived the July attack in Gaza and has not yet commented on the military's recent confirmation.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant described the strike that killed Mr. Deif as a "significant milestone" in achieving the war's objectives.
"The results of this operation reflect that Hamas is an organization in disintegration," he wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The head of the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's armed wing, Deif had been one of Israel's most wanted men for nearly three decades and has been on the US list of 'international terrorists' since 2015.
Israel had reportedly attempted to kill him at least eight times, including in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2014, and May 2021.
These attempts resulted in Deif losing both legs and an arm, and his wife and two children were killed.
Killed at Last
Amid the ongoing war in Gaza, Israel targeted Deif in a July 13 strike that hit a compound on the outskirts of Khan Younis, though his death was not immediately confirmed. According to Gaza health officials, over 90 people, including displaced civilians in nearby tents, were killed in the strike.
The house where Deif was believed to be staying was struck with a 2,000-pound (900 kg) bomb, creating a massive crater.
Deif was a co-founder of Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, in the 1990s and led the unit for decades.
Under his leadership, it conducted numerous suicide bombings against Israelis on buses and in cafes, and amassed a powerful arsenal of rockets capable of striking deep into Israel. He remained an enigmatic, underground figure in Gaza.
He never appeared in public, was seldom photographed, and his voice was rarely heard in audio statements.
