Israel’s military has confirmed that Hamas’s military chief, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an air strike in the Gaza Strip last month. The strike targeted a compound in the Khan Younis area on 13 July. Hamas has yet to confirm Deif’s death.
Israel states that Deif was one of the key figures behind the 7 October attacks in southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages being taken.
On Wednesday, Hamas political leader Ismael Haniyeh was killed during a visit to Iran. Israel has not directly commented on his death.
Following the October attacks, Israel launched a large-scale military intervention in Gaza, aiming to dismantle Hamas. According to the Hamas-run health ministry in the Strip, at least 39,480 people have been killed so far.
In a statement on Thursday, the Israeli military confirmed Deif’s death in the 13 July strike after an intelligence assessment. Gaza’s Hamas-run health authorities had previously stated that the air strike killed over 90 people but denied Deif was among the casualties.
Israel’s Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, described Deif’s death as “a significant milestone” in the effort to dismantle Hamas. “This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating, and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or be eliminated,” he added.
