Israel says Hamas commander Mohammed Deif killed
Israel’s military says it has intelligence confirmation that Hamas commander Mohammed Deif was killed in a July 13 air strike targeting him.
The attack, which hit tents housing displaced people in al-Mawasi in southern Gaza, killed more than 90 people, but there was no confirmation at the time Deif was among them. Hamas said he had evaded the assault.
Now Israel says it can confirm Deif was killed.
مشاهد نشرها الجيش الإسرائيلي لما زعم أنها للحظة اغتيال قائد "كتـ.ائب القسـ.ام" محمد الضيف قبل أسبوعين في غزة#الجزيرة pic.twitter.com/nTCSOYpJvg
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) August 1, 2024
Translation: Scenes published by the Israeli army of what it claims was the moment of the assassination of the leader of the Qassam Brigades, Mohammed Deif, two weeks ago in Gaza.
No shame publishing dropping 2,000 pound bombs on civilians
‘We must not stop’: Israel’s Smotrich on alleged killing of Deif
Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has claimed the alleged killing of Hamas commander Mohammed Deif signifies that “the defeat of Hamas is closer than ever”.
“We must not stop a moment before victory!” he said on X, claiming Israel has killed “many thousands of terrorists including very senior ones”.
“We will continue like this until we destroy them all, restore security and return the kidnapped people home,” Smotrich added.
How did Israel’s military target Deif?
The Israeli military carried out a massive air raid on al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian safe zone, on July 13, claiming to target Hamas commander Mohammed Deif and senior Hamas member Rafi Salama.
The bomb and missile barrage was among the bloodiest of the war, killing more than 90 Palestinians and injuring more than 300 others, including children and paramedics, prompting a global outrage.
Speaking to Al Jazeera after the assault, the UN’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territory, Francesca Albanese said Israel had likely violated international law by striking the designated humanitarian zone.
“I’m disgusted by the tolerance of Israel’s impunity which is enabling the genocidal war,” Albanese had said.
‘Forced us into tents … then pursued us with bombs’
Journalist Waad Abu Zaher is one of the survivors of Israel’s massive air raid on al-Mawasi, where missiles fell near the tents for displaced people.
The attack, she said, turned the tent camp into a death zone. “I was running around, surrounded by corpses, blood, [scattered] pots of [the] children who had lined up at the food kitchen, and gallons of water,” she had told Al Jazeera.
“I saw a pregnant woman lying on the ground, bleeding from between her legs, next to an injured child whose arm was gone.”
She added: “Israel not only forced us to live in tents unsuitable for human life, but also pursued us here with bombs and missiles.”
Hamas member says no confirmation of Israeli claim of Deif’s killing
In a post on Telegram, Hamas member Izzat al-Rashq says there is no confirmation over the Israeli claim that it killed Deif last month.
“Confirming or denying the martyrdom of any of the Qassam leaders is a matter for the leadership of the Qassam Brigades and the leadership of the movement,” the post said.
“Unless either of them announced, none of the news published in the media or by any other party can be confirmed.”
