Mohammed Deif, the longtime shadowy military leader of Hamas and one of the alleged masterminds behind the Oct. 7 attack on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, is said to have been killed in an Israeli airstrike last month. The Israeli military claimed to have killed Deif in a massive strike in southern Gaza on July 13, citing an intelligence assessment. Hamas officials have not yet commented on Israel's claim.
Deif, one of the founders of Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, led the unit for decades. Under his command, the group carried out numerous suicide bombings against Israelis and built up a significant arsenal of rockets capable of striking deep into Israel. He gained mythical status among Palestinians for surviving multiple Israeli assassination attempts and not appearing in public for decades, topping Israel's most-wanted list for years.
Israel alleges that Deif and Hamas' political leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, were the chief architects of the Oct. 7 attack, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the taking of roughly 250 others hostage into Gaza. This attack led to the Israel-Hamas war that has claimed over 39,000 Palestinian lives.
Deif, whose real name is Mohammed al-Masri, was believed to be 58 or 59 years old. He grew up in a refugee camp in Khan Younis, Gaza, and joined Hamas in the late 1980s during the first Palestinian intifada. Deif was responsible for plotting numerous attacks against Israeli civilians, including the kidnapping and killing of an Israeli soldier in 1994 and suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Ashkelon in 1996.
Under Deif's leadership, Hamas developed its rocket program, expanding from rudimentary weapons to an arsenal that could reach Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. He was also involved in the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit in 2006. Deif's alleged death could be a significant blow to Hamas, symbolically and strategically, potentially impacting the ongoing conflict with Israel.
While Deif's demise may present an opportunity for Israel to de-escalate the conflict, Hamas remains a resilient organization that has weathered previous leadership losses. The impact of Deif's alleged death on the dynamics of the Israel-Hamas conflict remains to be seen.
