Aerial footage of strike on Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif
(Video: IDF Spokesperson’s Unit)
The IDF confirmed on Thursday that Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was killed in an Israeli airstrike last month.
"The IDF announces that on July 13, 2024, IDF fighter jets struck in the area of Khan Yunis, and following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike," the military said in a statement.
"Following precise IDF and ISA intelligence, IAF fighter jets conducted a precise, targeted strike on a compound in which Mohammed Deif and Rafa'a Salameh, the Commander of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade, were located. The elimination of Rafa'a Salameh was confirmed several weeks ago. Additional terrorist operatives were also eliminated during the strike."
The military waited for intelligence confirming the death of the second-in-command of Hamas. "He did not survive the attack," security officials stated. "His elimination serves the objectives of the war and is evidence of Israel's abilities in targeted killings."
"Deif initiated, planned, and executed the October 7 Massacre, in which 1,200 people were killed in southern Israel and 251 hostages abducted into the Gaza Strip," the army noted.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hailed the successful operation. "The elimination of the arch-terrorist Mohammed Deif, the 'Bin Laden of Gaza,' on July 13, 2024, is a significant step toward dismantling Hamas as a military and governing organization and achieving our war objectives," he said in a statement.
"The precise and high-quality operation that led to his elimination was made possible by optimal cooperation between the IDF, the Shin Bet, and their leaders. The results of the operation make it clear that Hamas is an organization in disarray, and that the terrorists must choose between surrender and death.
"The defense establishment will pursue Hamas terrorists—from the planners of the massacre to its executors—and will not rest until the mission is completed."
Deif had survived at least seven attempts on his life including in 2002, when he was believed to have lost an eye, a leg and an arm.
The last attempt on his life before the October 7 massacre came during the war with Gaza in 2014, when his wife and son were killed in a strike on a house in Gaza City's Sheikh Radwan neighborhood.
The shadowy arch-terrorist 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.