Mohammad Deif in a rare photo from before the year 2000. (Credit: AFP)
Following the death of Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh, the Israeli army announced on Thursday that Mohammed Deif, the head of the group’s military branch, was "eliminated" in an airstrike on July 13 in Gaza. Several statements, initially from third parties and then from a Hamas official, have denied this information without proving that Deif is still alive.
Mohammed Deif is considered the mastermind behind the Hamas attack on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war on Oct. 7, 2023.
The Israeli army first stated on X (formerly Twitter), “We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif has been eliminated.” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant then claimed, “Deif, the Osama bin Laden of Gaza, was eliminated on July 13, 2024,” adding, “This is a significant step in dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza and in achieving the objectives of this war. The operation was conducted with precision and professionalism. It reflects that Hamas is disintegrating and that terrorists can either surrender or be eliminated.”
The Hamas movement has again denied the claims about Deif's death, according to initial reports on a Telegram account linked to Hezbollah. Izzat al-Richk, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, emphasized in a press release on the group's website that "the confirmation or denial of Deif's martyrdom is the responsibility of the al-Qassam Brigades and Hamas leadership." He added, "Unless a leader of the movement and the al-Qassam Brigades announces it, none of the information published in the media or by other parties can be confirmed."
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