Defense officials expressed cautious optimism that Mohammed Deif, the supreme commander of Hamas' military wing, was eliminated in an airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
They believe Hamas will try to hide the truth about Deif's fate and that additional Israeli strikes in the area are forthcoming.
Aftermath of airstrikes on Al-Mawasi in Khan Younis
The Saudi network Al Hadath reported that Hamas is investigating a "major internal breach" that preceded the strike. According to the report, Deif and other senior Hamas officials relocated multiple times in recent weeks to evade Israeli surveillance.
Palestinians claim that more than 70 people were killed in the strike. However, an Israeli official told the Associated Press that the strike was precise, estimating that many of the casualties were terrorists.
The Wall Street Journal noted that among the dead were the bodyguards of Deif and Salama.
The Al-Mawasi displaced persons compound, where Deif was believed to be hiding, had only a few underground tunnels, making the coastal area, which has housed thousands of displaced persons since the war began, non-military.
Hamas exploited this to set up a secure compound for terrorists, which was attacked Saturday morning with various missiles and munitions from Air Force fighter jets and drones, in a larger quantity than previous assassination attempts on senior Hamas figures.
Five heavy bombs were dropped, including a bunker buster, to ensure the elimination of both targets: Deif and Rafa Salama, the Khan Younis Brigade commander and his right-hand man.
The precise intelligence was based on technological surveillance and human monitoring, leading to the confirmation that Deif was at the targeted site among shacks, sheds and palm trees. The IDF released images showing the compound before and after the strike.
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Mohammed Deif's hideout before and after Israeli strike
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
The defense establishment believes the outcome of the strike will possibly become clear within the next 24 hours, due to the operation's above-ground location, as opposed to previous assassination attempts on high-profile Hamas figures who were hiding underground.
Marwan Issa, Deif's previous deputy and the third-highest-ranking Hamas operative in the Gaza Strip, was eliminated in an Israeli strike on an underground tunnel in which he was hiding in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza. The IDF officially confirmed his assassination more than two weeks after the attack.
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Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar
(Photo: Defense Ministry)
The operation was approved overnight Saturday by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who convened IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar after midnight for special situation assessments following the final intelligence that Deif had surfaced from the tunnels, presenting a rare opportunity to eliminate him.
This information on Deif and Salama's locations came from a special joint unit of Military Intelligence and Shin Bet, which focuses on gathering intelligence on senior Hamas figures and the hostages' locations in the Gaza Strip.
Deif's overconfidence
Defense officials said they believed that Deif exhibited excessive self-confidence. Unlike Hamas in Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, who focused mainly on his own survival, Deif played an active operational role in continuing the fighting.
Jerusalem assesses that the strike will halt hostage negotiations in the immediate term. However, defense officials believe that even if there is a tactical delay, the assassination will strategically benefit the process by mounting pressure on Hamas. A Qatari delegation was scheduled to continue talks in Cairo on Saturday, but it is currently unclear whether negotiations will continue.
With Deif and Salama's likely demise, only four senior Hamas leaders remain in the Gaza Strip: Yahya Sinwar and his brother Mohammed, Gaza City Brigade Commander Izz al-Din al-Haddad and Rafah Brigade Commander Mohammed Shabana, who has survived two previous assassination attempts.