Mohammed Deif, the supreme commander of Hamas' military wing who has survived more than seven Israeli assassination attempts, is described by Israel’s defense establishment as a "ghost-like" figure.
He was likely the target of the unusual strike in Al-Mawasi, Khan Younis. Currently, Military Intelligence and the Air Force believe he was severely injured, but there is no definitive confirmation of his death. His deputy, Khan Younis Brigade Commander Rafa Salama, was also targeted in the attack.
Deif was one of Hamas' earliest recruits and was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1989. He spent 16 months in administrative detention on charges of taking part in the terror group's military activities. During his detention, he worked to establish the al-Qassam Brigades, now Hamas' military wing, aiming to kidnap Israeli soldiers. Additionally, he orchestrated the construction of tunnels for Hamas terrorists to infiltrate Israel and advanced the strategy of launching numerous rockets from the Gaza Strip.
Over the years, Deif has remained a wanted man, rarely appearing in public and always under heavy security measures and secrecy protocols. Even when moving between his offices, both above and below ground, he used a disabled-access elevator and staircases adapted for his disability, sometimes using a wheelchair.
In 2002, he survived a severe assassination attempt in which he was believed to have lost an eye, a leg and an arm. The last attempt on his life before the October 7 massacre was during 2014's Operation Protective Edge, when his wife and son were killed in a strike on a house in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.
Aftermath of strike in Khan Younis' Al-Mawasi
During that operation, Deif directed Palestinian combat operations from a bunker, and after the attack, Hamas responded with a massive and unprecedented barrage of dozens of rockets targeting central and southern Israel within a relatively short period.
Salameh, who was possibly killed alongside Deif in the attack in Khan Younis, was reportedly responsible for planning and executing several attacks, according to Israel. Among these were the kidnapping and imprisonment of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006. He was also involved in planning the 2005 suicide bombing at the Orkhan outpost and other attacks originating from Khan Younis.
Deif's right-hand man belongs to a family of terrorists who have been killed in IDF operations, including his mother, who was shot while helping her son escape from Israeli forces. His uncle, also killed, was a member of Hamas' political bureau during the current war and a close associate of Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar. Like Deif, Salameh survived several assassination attempts over the years.
Deif in better condition than previously thought
In December of last year, about two months after the war began, it was reported that Deif was in better condition than previously believed, based on intelligence materials obtained by the IDF during the fighting in Gaza. These included a photograph received by the security establishment. According to the report, it was revealed that he could walk on both legs and use his hands.
Signs found by IDF soldiers in his home and facilities in the Palestinian enclave indicated that, although Deif sometimes uses a wheelchair, he can occasionally walk independently, albeit with some physical disability, a result of previous assassination attempts.
It appears that Deif remained active and even planned the deadly fighting from his hidden office, alongside senior Hamas officials who dispatched terror brigades for attacks against Israeli targets.
Last March, IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari confirmed that Marwan Issa, the third-highest ranking member of Hamas in Gaza and Deif’s deputy, was killed in an airstrike at the Nuseirat refugee camp. He also noted that senior Hamas official Ghazi Abu Tama’a, who served as the head of the combat and administrative support staff for the organization, was killed alongside Issa.
Reports from Gaza indicated more than 50 fatalities and dozens of injuries in Saturday’s strike, which allegedly targeted tents of displaced persons and where Deif was reportedly seriously injured. Additionally, many of the wounded were evacuated to a field hospital set up in the area and were attacked after gathering nearby to collect water.