It remains unclear whether Deif and Salameh were killed in the attack.
By Charles Bybelezer, JNS
The head of Hamas’s terror army, Mohammed Deif, was targeted by an Israel Defense Forces strike in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday morning.
Deif and Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of the terror group’s Khan Younis Brigade, were targeted in a building above ground close to the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone and the city of Khan Younis.
“The [Israel Air Force] carried out a strike in an area where two senior Hamas terrorists and additional terrorists hid among civilians. The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds,” said the IDF.
In a joint IDF and ISA activity based on precise intelligence, the IDF’s Southern Command and the IAF carried out a strike in an area where two senior Hamas terrorists and additional terrorists hid among civilians. The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees,… pic.twitter.com/1MEJYHHwm7
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 13, 2024
The two men were hiding out among civilians but were not embedded within encampments earmarked for displaced Palestinians, the military added.
No Israeli hostages were being held in the vicinity, according to local reports.
It remains unclear whether Deif and Salameh were killed in the attack.
If Deif was in Mawasi it would once again show how Hamas systematically hides among civilians and even moved leaders to the humanitarians safe zone. Everything Hamas does is designed to use civilians as shields and exploit everything humanitarian. It’s unconscionable that most of… https://t.co/vJSvSqXDT7
— Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) July 13, 2024
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement on Saturday afternoon noting that he had previously issued “a permanent directive to eliminate senior Hamas officials.
“The prime minister was briefed on all developments and continues to receive regular updates,” the Prime Minister’s Office said.
Netanyahu was set to hold a situation assessment with top security brass to discuss the development.
Earlier, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar.
This is what remains of Muhammad Deif, H×mas’ chief of staff, the second in command after Yahya Sinwar
— Dr. Eli David (@DrEliDavid) July 13, 2024
Deif, 58, the head of Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades “military wing,” is said to have directed the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre of some 1,200 Israelis. On Oct. 11, Israel hit the home of Deif’s father, killing his brother along with his brother’s wife and children.
The IDF has pursued Deif for two decades. In a 2014 effort to kill him during “Operation Protective Edge,” Deif escaped but lost his wife and infant son.
In January, the IDF released a picture of Deif outdoors holding a drink and U.S. bills, found on a laptop during operations in Gaza. The image shows Deif missing one eye, purportedly due to Israeli attempts on his life that he narrowly escaped.
Though Israeli intelligence agencies believed for years that Deif was paraplegic, IDF troops operating in Gaza in December uncovered recent videos of the terrorist mastermind walking, though with a slight limp.
On Oct. 7, Deif called on Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East to “set the Earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers [Israel].”
In the audio message, he dubbed Hamas’s multi-pronged attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge” and called to “expel the occupiers and demolish the walls” of the Jewish state.
In March, Hamas released another recording attributed to Deif, with Arab media claiming it was taped during the Oct. 7 massacre.
“Our people in Jordan and Lebanon, in Egypt, Algeria, the Maghreb, in Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and in all parts of the Arab and Islamic world,” said Deif in the 35-second audio clip.
“Begin marching today, now and not tomorrow, towards Palestine, and do not let borders, regulations or restrictions deprive you of the honor of jihad and participation in the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Deif has commanded the Al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza since the 1990s and orchestrated a series of terrorist attacks on Israelis.
He also oversaw Hamas’s armament program, tunnel project, and attempts to kidnap Israelis and use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian security prisoners.
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