Israel confirms ‘eliminating’ Hamas military wing chief Al-Deif

Israel today announced that it had “eliminated” the head of Hamas’s military wing, Mohammed Deif.

In a tweet, the Israel Defence Forces wrote: “We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated.”

We can now confirm: Mohammed Deif was eliminated.

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 1, 2024

Occupation forces carried out an air strike on the Al-Mawasi “safe zone” in Gaza last month and claimed to have killed Deif and the Commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade, Rafa’a Salameh.

However, the army later retracted the statement saying “so far, no new intelligence information has been received that would allow to reinforce or prove the veracity of Deif’s assassination.”

However, today it announced “that on July 13th, 2024, IDF fighter jets struck in the area of Khan Yunis, and following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike.”

Al-Deif is said to be the mastermind behind the 7 October cross border infiltration into Israel by Palestinian resistance fighters.

Commenting on Israel’s claim, the Palestinian group said today that only Al-Qassam Brigades can “confirm or deny his martyrdom.”

The announcement comes a day after the assassination of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran. The Palestinian faction said Haniyeh was targeted in a “Zionist raid”. Israel has not commented on the attack.

Updated on 01 August 2024 at 11.32 GMT to include Hamas’s comment.

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