Hamas’ armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed on Thursday the deaths of its military leader Mohammed Deif and deputy military commander Marwan Issa in combat.
In August, the Israeli military had announced that it killed Deif in an airstrike in Gaza’s Khan Younis area. Both Deif and Issa, who was also reported killed by Israel in March, were believed to have orchestrated Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel, which triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. Deif was a long-sought and elusive figure with a secretive career within Hamas.
Additionally, the al-Qassam Brigades confirmed the deaths of three other senior members of its general military council, as stated by the group’s spokesperson Abu Ubaida in a recorded speech.