Israel targets Hamas Oct 7 mastermind ‘The Guest’ in air strike
Israel targeted the leader of the Hamas military in an air strike on Saturday, in what would be the most significant assassination of the war if he is confirmed to have been killed.
Mohammed Deif is considered one of the orchestrators of the Oct 7 massacre, and has been involved in the kidnapping and killing of Israeli citizens for decades.
Known as “The Guest” because of his reported habit of switching where he sleeps every night, Deif is also said to be the architect of the tunnel network stretching hundreds of kilometres underneath Gaza.
Saturday’s attack left more than 70 people dead and more than 100 injured, according to local media. Palestinian media said the strike hit a designated safe zone, known as known as al-Mawasi, in Khan Younis.
Israeli media cited military officials who said the strike targeted a building in the humanitarian zone between al-Mawasi and Khan Younis, but not in the tent camp, as Palestinian media reported. The Israeli army estimates that no hostages were in the area.
An Israeli official told The Telegraph: “Mohammed Deif was our target and so was the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, Rafa’a Salameh. We are waiting for final confirmation on the situation, but we are optimistic.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu admitted that it “isn’t absolutely certain” that Deif was killed in Khan Younis on Saturday, but promised that Israel will get to the entire leadership of Hamas.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, announced that he had held an operational situation assessment with the heads of the Israel Defense Forces and the Shin Bet intelligence agency “in light of developments in Gaza”.
Deif, born in Khan Younis in 1967, joined Hamas during the first Intifada. He became the leader of the terror group’s military in 2002 after Ahmed Jabari, his predecessor, was assassinated by Israel.
In the hours after the Oct 7 attack, Deif appeared in a recorded video message announcing the start of “Operation al-Aqsa Storm”. Urged Palestinians to take up arms, he said in the clip: “Enough is enough.”
Israel holds Deif responsible for the kidnappings and murders of two Israeli soldiers, Shahar Simani and Aryeh Frankenthal, in 1994.
Deif was also behind suicide bombings in Jerusalem and Askhelon in February 1996, in which more than 50 Israelis were killed. The attacks were seen as revenge for an Israeli assassination of Yahya Ayyash, a senior Hamas official known as “The Engineer” for his role in bombings.
He is seen as responsible for the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, as well as strengthening Hamas’ military ties with Iran in recent years.
Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, was also targeted in the strike, according to Israeli media.