IDF confirms: Mohammed Deif, Hamas military chief, died in airstrike 2 weeks ago

Israel settles score with arch terrorist after manhunt lasting over 20 years

Read this article in:

Hamas’ military chief and veteran terrorist Mohammed Deif, is dead, Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet announced Thursday.

Deif was killed in a heavy airstrike on a Hamas compound in the area of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip on July 13, according to the IDF.

“After an intelligence check, it can be confirmed that the attack killed Muhammad Deif, the commander of the military wing and number two in the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza, who planned and carried out the murderous massacre on October 7,” the IDF statement read.

The outcome of the airstrike was unclear at first, with Hamas immediately denying reports that Deif had perished.

“Deif is alive, and his condition is fine,” a Hamas spokesman said. “Deif is supervising the activities of Hamas' military wing in a good and direct manner.”

Soon after the strike, Israel and Hamas confirmed that Deif’s deputy Rafa’a Salameh, who was with him at the time, had died. “Along with them, other terrorists were eliminated,” the IDF added.

In confirming Deif’s death, the army emphasized that he had planned and executed numerous terror attacks against Israel over the past decades.

“Deif worked closely with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and during the war he managed the terrorist activities of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, issuing orders and instructions to the senior military wing of the organization.”

In a joint IDF and ISA activity based on precise intelligence, the IDF's Southern Command and the IAF carried out a strike in an area where two senior Hamas terrorists and additional terrorists hid among civilians. The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees,… pic.twitter.com/1MEJYHHwm7
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 13, 2024

“Deif joined the terrorist organization Hamas during the first intifada, planned and directed many attacks, and contributed to the strengthening of the organization in Judea and Samaria and suicide attacks in Israel's homeland,” the statement read.

Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised Israeli security forces for the successful elimination of Deif, calling him the "Osama Bin Laden of Gaza."

"This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza, and in the achievement of the goals of this war," Gallant noted.

"This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that 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," he vowed.

In his statement posted on 𝕏, Gallant also included a photo of himself crossing off Deif from a poster showing Hamas' high command.

Muhammad Deif, the ‘Osama Bin Laden of Gaza,’ was eliminated on 13.07.24. This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza, and in the achievement of the goals of this war.

The operation was conducted precisely and… pic.twitter.com/WCgL5fBkEC
— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) August 1, 2024

The evening before the IDF’s announcement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hinted that Israel believed Deif had indeed been killed.

“The three main arms of this axis of evil are Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah, the three H's. We have recently struck crushing blows to each one,” Netanyahu said.

“Three weeks ago, we attacked the Hamas chief-of-staff, Muhammad Deif. Two weeks ago, we attacked the Houthis in one of the Air Force's most distant assaults, and yesterday we attacked the Hezbollah chief-of-staff, Fuad Shukr, aka Mohsen.”

Deif was seen by many Israeli experts as more important to Hamas’ military operations than Gaza's Hamas leader Sinwar.

Known as the “ghost,” the elusive military commander has been at the top of Israel’s most-wanted terrorist list since the 1990s, when he became a central Hamas player.

Deif has survived at least seven Israeli assassination attempts over the years.