Mohammed Deif, who was the head of the al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. AFP archive photo.
BEIRUT — Hezbollah extended a message of condolences to Hamas, Palestinian factions, and the Palestinian people following the announcement that the chief of staff of Hamas' military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif had been killed in July alongside his companions.
In a statement, Hezbollah expressed "its pride in these fighters who continued the fight until death, sacrificing themselves to give their people dignity, freedom, and independence ... Among them, Mohammed Deif who spent his life battling the Israeli enemy and distinguished himself notably during al-Aqsa Flood, of which he was the main architect." Hezbollah states in its message that "the victory achieved will strengthen the determination of the Palestinian people to continue their path despite the sacrifices.'"
Mohammed Deif had been al-Qassam Brigades shadow leader since 2002 and was one of the masterminds behind Hamas’ al-Aqsa Flood operation against southern Israel, during which it attacked by land, air and sea, on Oct. 7, 2023 and took 250 people hostage with the aim of exchanging them for Palestinians held in Israeli jails. Dief was killed by the Israeli army on July 13, 2024, in the strike on the al-Mawassi displaced persons camp in the Gaza Strip. The attack resulted in at least 71 deaths and over 280 injuries, according to figures from the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
