Mohammed Deif (12 August 1965 – 13 July 2024) was the commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
Biography[]
Mohammed Deif was born on 12 August 1965 in Khan Younis in Egypt (now part of the semi-independent Gaza Strip). He became a member of Hamas and took part in many bombings against Israel in the 1990s, and Deif was made the leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the organization.
In 2014, Deif was in command of Hamas' army when Israel launched Operation Protective Edge to avenge the killing of Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Frenkel, and Gilad Shaar after being abducted by Hamas. He fought against Israel in the Gaza Strip, and on 19 August Israel launched an airstrike on his house. His 27-year-old wife Widad, 7-month-old son Ali, 3-year-old daughter Sara, and three civilians. He was not killed in the strike. In 2023, he helped plan the "al-Aqsa Flood" surprise attack on southern Israel, for which he was marked for death. On 10 October 2023, during Operation Iron Swords, an Israeli airstrike on Deif's family residence in Khan Younis killed his father, brother, and at least two other relatives. He and fellow Qassam commander Rafa'a Salameh were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Mawasi in July 2024, and his death was confirmed on 1 August.
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