Israel had been monitoring Rafa Salama, the now-slain commander of Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade, for weeks, observing his frequent visits to a villa and compound belonging to his family, hoping that the terrorist group's military chief Mohammed Deif would eventually join him there, the New York Times reported on Monday.
While Salama's death in Saturday's Israeli strike on the compound has been confirmed, Deif's condition remains unclear.
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Mohammed Deif, crater caused by bombing on Hamas compound in Khan Younis
(Photo: Bashar Taleb / AFP)
Salama had been frequenting the villa more often after the IDF had taken control of several other properties he owned in Khan Younis. Israeli security officials noted that Salama spent most of his time in tunnels but would occasionally come up for air and visit the villa with armed family members.
The IDF believed Deif, who had survived multiple assassination attempts in the past and was in poor health, would need to emerge from the tunnels more frequently than other Hamas leaders. Intelligence included a photograph of Salama and Deif together in the villa's garden.
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Mohammed Deif's hideout before and after Israeli strike
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
On Friday, a day before the attack, intelligence officers received a tip that Deif was in Salama's compound. This information was quickly relayed up the chain of command to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who approved the strike late Friday night. After further confirmation, at 10 a.m. on Saturday, at least five U.S.-made guided bombs were dropped on the compound, creating a large crater.
Although the strike impacted a nearby humanitarian zone, Israeli officials believed the potential harm to civilians was offset by the presence of the two senior Hamas leaders in the compound. They were confident that no hostages were being held there. The Palestinians reported that over 90 people were killed in the bombing.