Israel Claims Hamas Military Leader Mohammed Deif Killed In Airstrike

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ longtime shadowy subject leader and 1 of nan alleged masterminds of nan Oct. 7 onslaught connected Israel that sparked nan warfare successful Gaza, is said to beryllium dormant pursuing an Israeli airstrike past month.

The Israeli subject said it killed Deif successful a monolithic onslaught successful confederate Gaza connected July 13, citing “an intelligence assessment.” There was nary contiguous remark from Hamas officials connected Israel’s claim.

One of nan founders of Hamas’ subject wing, nan Qassam Brigades, successful nan 1990s, Deif led nan portion for decades. Under his command, it carried retired dozens of termination bombings against Israelis connected buses and astatine cafes and built up a formidable arsenal of rockets that could onslaught heavy into Israel and often did.

He gained mythical position among Palestinians, surviving a drawstring of Israeli assassination attempts and not showing his look successful nationalist for decades. For years, he topped Israel’s most-wanted list.

Israel says Deif and Hamas’ governmental leader successful Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, were nan main architects of the Oct. 7 attack. Together they succeeded successful foiling Israel’s vaunted separator defenses, astonishing nan region’s astir powerful subject and unleashing an unprecedented onslaught that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took astir 250 others hostage into Gaza. The onslaught triggered the Israel-Hamas war that has killed much than 39,000 Palestinians.

On nan greeting of nan attack, Hamas issued a uncommon sound signaling of Deif announcing nan “Al Aqsa Flood” operation. In nan message, he railed against subject raids successful nan occupied West Bank and unit successful eastbound Jerusalem and called connected each Palestinians to emergence up and return part.

“Enough is enough,” he said. “Kill, burn, destruct and artifact nan roads. Make them understand that nan Al Aqsa Flood is much powerful than they deliberation and believe.”

Those developments could thief group nan reside for nan remainder of nan war. They could imperil cease-fire talks and raise fears of a location escalation.

But nan alleged demise of Deif, a long-wanted fig said to beryllium down nan deadliest onslaught successful Israel’s history, would besides beryllium a awesome triumph for Israel. It could coming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pinch a governmental off-ramp to extremity nan war, allowing him to retreat from his lofty promises of “total victory” while showing Israelis that Hamas’ subject capabilities suffered a debilitating blow.

At nan aforesaid time, his sidesplitting would beryllium a important setback for Hamas, some symbolically and strategically, since it whitethorn person mislaid a unsocial subordinate successful nan Palestinian equipped struggle against Israel, moreover if that struggle apt won’t extremity pinch Deif’s alleged death. He was believed to beryllium 58 aliases 59.

Born Mohammed al-Masri, his nom de guerre, Deif, intends “guest” successful Arabic — a moniker that reflected his inclination to alteration locations often to hide from Israel.

Deif, for illustration Sinwar, grew up successful a exile campy of nan confederate Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis successful nan mid-1960s. Gaza is location to respective specified camps whose inhabitants fled aliases were forced from their homes successful what is now Israel during nan warfare surrounding nan country’s constitution successful 1948.

He is believed to person joined Hamas soon aft nan statement of nan Islamist Palestinian group successful nan precocious 1980s, astatine nan onset of nan first Palestinian intifada, aliases uprising. The group’s ideology calls for equipped guidance and nan convulsive demolition of Israel.

In 1989, during nan tallness of nan uprising, Deif was arrested by Israel but later released.

Michael Koubi, a erstwhile head of nan investigations section astatine Israel’s Shin Bet home information agency, is 1 of nan fewer Israelis to person met Deif personally erstwhile he was a quiet, bookish 16-year-old imprisoned successful a detention installation successful Khan Younis for throwing stones and Molotov cocktails astatine Israeli soldiers. “He was very, very patriotic, very progressive successful nan intifada,” Koubi said.

He would spell connected to recovered Hamas’ web successful nan West Bank successful 1993, nan twelvemonth that Israel reached an interim bid statement pinch nan Palestine Liberation Organization, nan Israeli subject said. That aforesaid year, he was besides promoted to nan caput of Hamas’ equipped wing, it said.

Israel holds Deif responsible for plotting galore attacks that killed scores of Israeli civilians, including nan kidnapping and sidesplitting of Israeli worker Nahshon Wachsman successful nan West Bank successful October 1994, and termination bombings successful Jerusalem and Ashkelon successful 1996.

The attacks successful nan mid-90s are wide believed to person tipped nan 1996 Israeli predetermination successful favour of Benjamin Netanyahu, who eked retired a astonishment triumph complete nan much mean front-runner Shimon Peres. Under Netanyahu’s lengthy activity and his successive nationalist governments, nan prospects of an independent Palestinian authorities person grown dimmer, chances that person further diminished because of Hamas’ onslaught and nan war.

Under Deif’s watch, Hamas developed its rocket program, opening pinch rudimentary weapons tin of walking conscionable a fewer kilometers (miles) and evolving into an arsenal that struck heavy wrong Israel, reaching its seaside metropolis Tel Aviv and nan foothills of Jerusalem. He was besides successful bid erstwhile worker Gilad Schalit was kidnapped into Gaza successful 2006. Schalit would beryllium released 5 years later successful speech for much than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held successful Israeli jails, a waste and acquisition that group Sinwar free.

Deif is besides thought to person helped grow Hamas’ labyrinth of underground tunnels successful Gaza — wherever he is believed to person hidden during nan ongoing war.

Koubi said Deif’s fingerprints were each complete nan Oct. 7 attack, from its sweeping scope to nan much astonishing aspects for illustration nan paragliders who flew complete nan obstruction and landed successful nan separator communities astatine nan commencement of nan attack.

“He was very creative,” he said.

There are fewer photos of Deif, and he is thought to beryllium unrecognizable to astir Palestinians.

Deif has been truthful elusive that moreover his quality was a constituent of speculation. Some media reports opportunity he was paralyzed and utilized a wheelchair for years pursuing injuries he sustained during past assassination attempts, while others reported he was capable to locomotion unassisted.

In 2014, Palestinian media said his woman and 2 children were killed successful an Israeli airstrike, 1 of nan galore grounded attempts to termination him.

Moshe Fuzaylov, a long-time interrogator and erstwhile elder charismatic for nan Shin Bet, said that if Deif was killed, it could unfastened a model of opportunity wherever Hamas will beryllium successful disarray, including complete Haniyeh’s death. It could push nan group toward a cease-fire pinch Israel while they are successful a weakened state.

“It’s a morale deed and a very beardown operational hit, and it changes this statement from thing that has 2 legs to thin connected to 1 that is limping,” he said.

But it wouldn’t needfully beryllium a decease rustle for Hamas.

“Israel has targeted Hamas governmental and subject leaders successful nan past,” said Khaled el-Gindy, an expert specializing successful Palestinian affairs pinch nan Washington-based Middle East Institute.

“But leaders are ever replaceable.”

___

Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.

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