Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif killed last month, Israel says
CBC
The head of Hamas's military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza last month, the Israeli military said on Thursday, a day after a political leader from the militant group was assassinated in Tehran.
"The IDF [Israel Defence Forces] announces that on July 13th, 2024, IDF fighter jets struck in the area of Khan Younis, and following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike," the military said.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said Deif's death was a milestone in Israel's goal of destroying Hamas's military wing, known as Al-Qassam Brigades.
"Hamas is disintegrating," Gallant said on X. "Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated."
Hamas neither confirmed nor denied the killing of Deif, but one official, Ezzat Rashaq, said any word on deaths of its leaders was the responsibility of the group, as "no news published in the media or by any other parties can be confirmed."
The Israeli announcement came as crowds gathered in Tehran for the funeral procession of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh.
Iran and Hamas have blamed Haniyeh's killing on Israel, which has neither denied nor confirmed a role in the assassination. It did, however, confirm it killed a senior commander of the Lebanese Hezbollah movement in Beirut on Tuesday.
Hezbollah and Hamas are backed by Iran. The latest killings have raised concern of a further escalation in hostilities in the Middle East, with threats of revenge against Israel, which has said it does not seek regional war but that it would respond forcefully to any attack.
Deif is believed to have been one of the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel led by Hamas, which is considered a terrorist organization by many Western governments including Canada. The attacks sparked the Gaza war, now in its 300th day.
One of Hamas's most dominant figures, Deif rose through the group's ranks over 30 years, developing its network of tunnels and its bomb-making expertise.
He has topped Israel's most wanted list for decades, held personally responsible for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.
Deif, 58, had survived seven previous Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent in 2021. Hamas sources said Deif lost an eye and sustained serious injuries in one leg in one of Israel's past attempts to kill him. His survival over the years made him a folk hero for some Palestinians.
Deif rarely spoke and never appeared in public. There are only three images of Deif: one in his 20s, another of him masked, and an image of his shadow, which was used when an audio tape was broadcast on Oct. 7.
"Today the rage of Al-Aqsa, the rage of our people and nation is exploding," Deif said in the recording the day of the attacks.
Officials in Cuba reported an island-wide blackout on Monday as the energy and economic crises deepen in this country of some 11 million people.
U.S. President Donald Trump may delay his China trip due to the Iran war, but Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday it's not to pressure Beijing on the Strait of Hormuz.
U.S. President Donald Trump is urging other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as Iran targets ships in the vital oil route, but so far there are few firm commitments.
Arab Gulf states reported new missile and drone attacks on Sunday after Iran threatened to widen its campaign as the war in the Middle East entered its third week.
The former secretary general of NATO says he doesn't think allies will be pulled further into the conflict in the Middle East, but he's concerned the ongoing war with Iran will benefit Russia's economy and take the world's attention away from the invasion of Ukraine.
As American and Israeli strikes pound Iran — while it attacks shipping and energy infrastructure across the Persian Gulf — U.S. President Donald Trump made a new threat to Tehran's leaders.
The armed man who rammed his vehicle into one of the largest Reform synagogues in the U.S. Thursday has been identified as a 41-year-old naturalized citizen born in Lebanon, according to federal officials.
With jagged cliffs rising from the Arabian Sea, the Strait of Hormuz is striking in its scenery — and these days, its emptiness. This resource superhighway, which normally hosts more than a hundred of the world’s largest oil and liquid natural gas (LNG) tankers every day, has seen no more than a handful all week.
The Canadian government said Tuesday it is alarmed by the escalation of violence and attacks in Lebanon, as the war in the Middle East expands.
In a resounding victory that is guaranteed to reshape Nepal's politics, rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah appeared headed for a landslide win in the South Asian country's first polls since youth-led protests toppled the previous government last fall.
China’s latest blueprint for driving growth in its economy was largely written before the U.S. and Israel instigated the most far-reaching war in the Middle East in decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump's firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Thursday overshadowed the announcement of his plans to nominate Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin as her successor.