Israeli military has claimed to have killed Hamas military Commander, Mohammed Deif in its air raid on Gaza’s Khan Younis on July 13, 2024.
The Israeli military carried out the attack in al-Mawasi targeting Mohammed Deif and senior Hamas member Rafi Salama.
The bomb and missile barrage was among the bloodiest of the war, killing more than 90 Palestinians and injuring more than 300 others, including children and paramedics, prompting a global outrage.
However, there was no confirmation at the time Deif was among them. Hamas said that he had evaded the assault.
Now Israel’s military says it has intelligence confirmation that Deif was killed in the July 13 air strike.
“We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated,” the Israeli military said today, Thursday, August 1, 2024.
Deif was one of the founders of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, in the 1990s and has led the force for more than 20 years.
He is said to be a key figure who planned suicide bombings leading to the deaths of dozens of Israelis.
He remained a mysterious, underground figure in Gaza.
He never appeared in public, was hardly ever photographed and only rarely was his voice heard in audio statements.
He also survived a string of Israeli assassination attempts.
The Israeli military regarded him as being part of a three-man military council that planned the October 7 attacks on southern Israel
Netanyahu’s government has promised to kill all three leaders, namely Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s leader in Gaza; Deif; and Marwan Issa, his deputy, who was reported killed by Israel in March.
In a post on Telegram, Hamas member Izzat al-Rashq noted that there is no confirmation over the Israeli claim that it killed Deif last month.
“Confirming or denying the martyrdom of any of the Qassam leaders is a matter for the leadership of the Qassam Brigades and the leadership of the movement,” the post said.
It added, “Unless either of them announced, none of the news published in the media or by any other party can be confirmed.”
Deif’s Killing Deemed ‘Significant Milestone’ In Fight Against Hamas
Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant hailed the alleged killing of Mohammed Deif as “a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza.”
Gallant branded the Hamas Commander as “the Osama Bin Laden of Gaza.”
He claimed the July 13 military operation that killed dozens of civilians as it targeted Deif “reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating.”
“Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated. Israel’s defense establishment will pursue Hamas terrorists – both the planners and the perpetrators of the 07.10 massacre. We will not rest until this mission is accomplished.”
Additionally, Israeli far-right Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich has claimed the alleged killing of Hamas commander Mohammed Deif signifies that “the defeat of Hamas is closer than ever.”
“We must not stop a moment before victory!” he said on X, claiming Israel has killed “many thousands of terrorists including very senior ones”.
“We will continue like this until we destroy them all, restore security and return the kidnapped people home,” Smotrich added.
Israeli opposition leaders also welcomed the news.
The head of the Yisrael Beytenu party, Avigdor Liberman, congratulated the military for the “killing of the mass murderer Mohammed Deif” and said the strike was “evidence of our ability to face any threat.”
Yesh Atid party Chairman, Yair Lapid said the operation was an “unprecedentedly important military achievement.”
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