Israeli forces conducted airstrikes in the southern part of Gaza on July 13, 2024, targeting top Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif and another senior figure, Rafa Salama. According to reports from various sources including CNN and The Washington Post, at least 71 people were killed and over 300 were injured in the strikes. Gaza Health Ministry reported the casualties while Israeli officials confirmed that they targeted Deif and Salama, who are considered key figures in Hamas' military wing, Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades.
Deif is believed to have been born in the 1960s and has a long history of involvement with Hamas. He is known for his role as a bomb maker and was behind several suicide attacks in the late 1990s, including one that killed 65 people in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. His full name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, but he became known as El Deif (the Guest) due to his practice of staying in different houses every night to avoid being tracked by Israeli forces.
The strikes hit an area where displaced people were sheltering, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The Kuwait and Nasser Hospitals on the ground are struggling to cope with the high numbers of dead and injured civilians coming in. Al-Mawasi, where the strike took place, has been designated by Israel as a safe zone for Palestinians fleeing the fighting raging in Gaza.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received continuous updates on the Israeli strike on Deif and Salama. He will later hold a situational assessment with Israeli security forces to discuss further steps, according to the Israeli Prime Minister's Office (PMO).
Hamas denied Israeli claims that they had targeted Deif and Salama, calling the killings a 'horrific massacre'. The organization stated that Israel's claims of targeting leaders are false and have been exposed as lies in the past.
Deif has evaded multiple Israeli assassination attempts in the past, but some members of his family have been killed. He is considered one of the masterminds behind an attack that killed over 1,200 people in Israel and triggered a war with Hamas in October 2007.
This developing story will be updated.
