(Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs) Yoni Ben Menachem - Israel's intelligence agencies estimate with high probability that Mohammad Deif, the supreme commander of Hamas's military wing, was killed on July 13 by an Israeli Air Force bombing in the Khan Yunis area, together with Rafe Salama, the Hamas military commander in Khan Yunis. Unofficial Hamas sources confirmed Salama's death, and Israel has reliable information that Deif was with Salama in the same compound during the bombing. Given the magnitude of the explosion, if Salama was killed, Deif likely was eliminated as well. Why is Hamas hiding the deaths of Deif and Salama? Deif was a significant leader of Hamas's military wing. Admitting his death could demoralize fighters and diminish their motivation to continue the conflict. Hamas portrays the attack on Oct. 7, 2023, as a great victory conceived and planned by Deif. Admitting his elimination would be seen as a military failure of their most senior commander, who had evaded Israel for 30 years.
2024-07-18 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive