An image taken from Rafah reveals smoke billowing over Khan Yunis within the southern Gaza Strip throughout Israeli bombardment on March 4, 2024, amid ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.
Mentioned Khatib | Afp | Getty Photos
Israel’s navy on Thursday stated it killed the chief of Hamas’ navy wing, Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike in July.
“We are able to now verify: Mohammed Deif was eradicated,” the Israel Protection Forces posted on its official X account.
The navy stated it spent weeks attempting to substantiate whether or not Deif, the goal of the strike within the southern Gaza metropolis of Khan Younis, was killed within the blast, whereas Hamas denied his dying. Hamas didn’t instantly touch upon Thursday’s IDF announcement when contacted by CNBC.
Israel says that Deif and Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ high chief within the Gaza Strip, have been the chief planners of the Oct. 7 assault on Israel that killed some 1,200 individuals and took an extra 253 hostage. Around116 of those captives have since been freed.
The October assault set off the continuing Israel-Hamas battle, now in its tenth month, and the Israeli navy offensive within the Gaza enclave that native authorities say has killed greater than 39,000 individuals.
The IDF announcement comes simply sooner or later after the killing of Hamas’ political chief, Ismail Haniyeh, in a strike on Tehran. Hamas and Iran say this was carried out by Israel, whereas the Jewish state has declined to touch upon Haniyeh’s dying.
The Israeli navy stated that the strike that killed Deif befell on July 13 and hit a compound on the outskirts of Khan Younis, close to a tent encampment for displaced Palestinian individuals. Greater than 90 different individuals have been killed within the strike, a lot of whom have been dwelling within the tents, the Gaza well being authorities stated on the time.
Israeli Protection Minister Yoav Gallant referred to as Deif the “Osama Bin Laden of Gaza” in a put up on the X social media platform on Thursday, saying his dying marked “a big milestone within the technique of dismantling Hamas as a navy and governing authority in Gaza, and within the achievement of the targets of this battle.”
Gallant added: “Israel’s protection institution will pursue Hamas terrorists — each the planners and the perpetrators of the 07.10 bloodbath. We is not going to relaxation till this mission is completed.”
