After months of silence, Hamas has officially confirmed the death of its military leader, Mohammed Deif. The Palestinian militant group’s announcement came months after the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) claimed responsibility for killing Deif in July this year. Israel had identified Deif as a key planner of the October 7 attack in Southern Israel, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 251 individuals being taken hostage.
Deif was regarded as the second-highest-ranking Hamas figure in Gaza, following Yahya Sinwar, the group’s leader in the region. However, Sinwar was also killed by Israeli forces last year. On Thursday, while confirming Deif’s death, a spokesperson for the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, described his passing as “befitting,” according to Al Jazeera.
“This is befitting of our leader Mohammed Deif, who exhausted the enemy for more than 30 years,” Abu Obeida stated. “How, by God, could Mohammed Deif be mentioned in history without the title ‘martyr’ and without the medal of martyrdom?” he added. Deif was one of the founders of the Qassam Brigades, which was established in 1990, and had led Hamas’ military operations for two decades.
Architect of Gaza’s Tunnel Network
As reported by Al Jazeera, Deif played a crucial role in developing Hamas’ extensive tunnel system across Gaza. Additionally, he was credited for his expertise in bomb-making. On the morning of the October 7 attack, Hamas released an audio recording in which Deif could be heard announcing the launch of the “Al-Aqsa Flood” operation.
Many believe Deif’s message indicated that the attack was retaliation for Israeli raids at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. In November last year, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Deif for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Alongside Deif, the ICC also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of similar offenses concerning Israel’s military actions in Gaza.
In Thursday’s statement, Hamas additionally confirmed the death of its deputy military commander, Marwan Issa. The United States had previously announced Issa’s death in March last year.
Issa was considered Israel’s most-wanted individual. The European Union, which had designated him a terrorist, linked him directly to the October 7 attack.