Hamas military chief was killed in July strike, Israel says

The Israeli military has confirmed that Mohammed Deif, the military chief of Hamas, was killed in an air strike that took place in the Gaza Strip last month. This air strike occurred on July 13 in the Khan Younis area. While Israel has stated that Deif is dead, Hamas has not yet confirmed this information. According to Israel, Deif was one of the key figures involved in planning the attacks that occurred on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the hostage-taking of 251 individuals. The Israeli military released a statement saying, 'Following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated' during the air strike on July 13. At that time, Gaza's Hamas-run health authorities reported that over 90 people had died in the air strike, but they denied that Deif was among those killed. Deif is widely regarded as the second-highest official in Hamas in Gaza, just behind Yahya Sinwar, the group's leader in the territory. Israel's Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, described Deif's death as 'a significant milestone' in the effort to dismantle Hamas. He added, 'This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated. ' Deif was appointed as the head of Hamas's military wing in 2002. Mohammed Deif has been a prominent figure in Hamas for many years. He was born in 1965 in the Khan Younis refugee camp, which was under Egyptian occupation at the time. In the late 1980s, he joined Hamas shortly after its formation and quickly rose through the ranks of the organization. Israel has accused him of orchestrating and overseeing bus bombings that resulted in the deaths of many Israelis in 1996, as well as being involved in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid-1990s. During the 1990s, Hamas carried out a series of bus bombings in Israel, one of which killed at least 20 people in Jerusalem in 1996. Deif is also known for his role in constructing tunnels that have allowed Hamas fighters to infiltrate Israel from Gaza. Under his leadership of the al-Qassam Brigades, he was credited with designing the Qassam rocket, which has become a signature weapon for Hamas. In 2014, Israel attempted to kill Deif with an air strike on a house in Gaza, which tragically resulted in the deaths of his wife, Widad, and their infant son, Ali. At that time, Israel believed they had killed Deif as well, but he was not present in the building. Due to his ability to survive multiple assassination attempts, he has been referred to as 'the cat with nine lives. ' During the ongoing conflict, it is believed that Deif has been directing Hamas's military operations from within underground tunnels in Gaza. The confirmation of Deif's death comes at a time of heightened tension in the Israel-Gaza conflict, which has raised concerns about a potential wider regional war. Recently, on a Saturday, a rocket landed on a football field in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed the Lebanese group Hezbollah, stating that they would face 'a heavy price' for their actions. Following this, Israel conducted an air strike in Beirut that resulted in the death of senior Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr, along with four others, including two children. Just hours later, Hamas's political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed in a strike on a building he was staying in during a visit to Tehran, Iran's capital. Iran has accused Israel of being responsible for Haniyeh's death, further escalating tensions in the region.