On Oct. 7, Deif called on Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East to ‘set the Earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers [Israel].’
By JNS and WIN Staff
The head of Hamas’s terror army, Mohammed Deif, was targeted by an Israel Defense Forces strike in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday morning; however, it is not clear whether Deif was killed in the attack.
Deif and Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of the terror group’s Khan Younis Brigade, were targeted in a building above ground close to the al-Mawasi humanitarian zone and the city of Khan Younis.
“The [Israel Air Force] carried out a strike in an area where two senior Hamas terrorists and additional terrorists hid among civilians. The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds,” said the IDF.
No Israeli hostages were being held in the vicinity, according to local reports.
It remains unclear whether Deif and Salameh were killed in the attack.
During a press conference, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “There is no absolute certainty whether Deif and Salameh have been eliminated, but I want to assure you that one way or another, we will target Hamas leaders.”
Hamas deputy chief denies that Muhammed Deif has been killed in the Israeli strike in Khan Younis.
Khalil Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera, “We say to Netanyahu that Muhammed Deif is listening to you right now and mocking your lies.”
Earlier, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant met with IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar.
Deif, 58, the head of Hamas’s al-Qassam Brigades “military wing,” is said to have directed the Oct. 7 invasion and massacre of some 1,200 Israelis. On Oct. 11, Israel hit the home of Deif’s father, killing his brother along with his brother’s wife and children.
The IDF has pursued Deif for two decades. In a 2014 effort to kill him during “Operation Protective Edge,” Deif escaped but lost his wife and infant son.
In January, the IDF released a picture of Deif outdoors holding a drink and U.S. bills, found on a laptop during operations in Gaza. The image shows Deif missing one eye, purportedly due to Israeli attempts on his life that he narrowly escaped.
Though Israeli intelligence agencies believed for years that Deif was paraplegic, IDF troops operating in Gaza in December uncovered recent videos of the terrorist mastermind walking, though with a slight limp.
On Oct. 7, Deif called on Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East to “set the Earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers [Israel].”
In the audio message, he dubbed Hamas’s multi-pronged attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge” and called to “expel the occupiers and demolish the walls” of the Jewish state.
In March, Hamas released another recording attributed to Deif, with Arab media claiming it was taped during the Oct. 7 massacre.
“Our people in Jordan and Lebanon, in Egypt, Algeria, the Maghreb, in Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and in all parts of the Arab and Islamic world,” said Deif in the 35-second audio clip.
“Begin marching today, now and not tomorrow, towards Palestine, and do not let borders, regulations or restrictions deprive you of the honor of jihad and participation in the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque.”
Deif has commanded the Al-Qassam Brigades in Gaza since the 1990s and orchestrated a series of terrorist attacks on Israelis.
He also oversaw Hamas’s armament program, tunnel project, and attempts to kidnap Israelis and use them as bargaining chips to secure the release of Palestinian security prisoners.