An Israeli airstrike targeted Hamas’ military chief Mohammed Deif in Gaza on Saturday, a security official and Israel Army Radio said. The strike, which occurred in Al-Mawasi, a camp west of the city of Khan Younis, resulted in the deaths of at least 71 Palestinians and injuries to 289, according to local authorities. The Hamas-run media office, however, reported a higher death toll, stating that at least 100 people, including members of the civil emergency service, were killed in multiple strikes.
Deif, the leader of Hamas’ Qassam Brigades, is considered one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack on Israel that triggered the ongoing war in Gaza. He has survived seven previous Israeli assassination attempts, including one in 2021, and has been on Israel’s most wanted list for decades. The airstrike on Saturday was based on precise intelligence, according to an Israeli security official cited by CNN.
In light of the “developments in Gaza”, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant held special consultations, his office announced. However, it remains unclear how the strike will affect the ongoing ceasefire talks in Doha and Cairo.
The Hamas-run media office reported that at least 100 people had been killed and wounded, including members of the Civil Emergency Service. The Israeli military said it was investigating the report. A senior Hamas official, Abu Zuhri, denied Deif’s presence at the location of the strike, calling the Israeli allegations “nonsense”. He claimed that all the victims were civilians and that the strike represented a grave escalation of the war of genocide, blaming American support and global silence for the escalation.
Witnesses described the attack as a surprise, with many fleeing in panic as ambulances raced towards the area amidst clouds of smoke and dust. Some of the wounded, who were being evacuated, were rescue workers. “They’re all gone, my whole family’s gone.. where are my brothers? They’re all gone, they’re all gone. There’s no one left,” said one tearful woman, who did not give her name. “Our children are in pieces, they are in pieces. Shame (on you),” she added.
Deif, who rose through the ranks of Hamas over 30 years, played a key role in developing the group’s network of tunnels and its bomb-making expertise. He is considered responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
The current conflict began on October 7 when Hamas-led militants launched a cross-border raid into southern Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Israel has retaliated with military action in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of over 38,000 Palestinians, according to medical authorities in Gaza.
