Hamas confirms the killing of military commander Mohammed Deif

Hamas has announced that its senior military commander, Mohammed Deif, has died. This comes after the Israeli military stated in July that it had killed Deif in an airstrike, but Hamas only officially confirmed his death on Thursday. This news marks the final confirmation of the death of the long-watched Hamas leader.

A spokesperson for Hamas's armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, said that Deif's death was "befitting." Spokesperson Abu Obeida stated, "This is befitting of our leader Mohammed Deif, who has been grappling with the enemy for over 30 years." He further questioned, "By God, how could Mohammed Deif be mentioned in history if he did not have the title of 'martyr' and the medal of martyrdom?"

Deif was one of the founders of the Qassam Brigades in the 1990s and led the group for over 20 years. He reportedly planned attacks that resulted in the deaths of dozens of Israelis. Furthermore, Deif is believed to have developed the group's tunnel network and bomb-making technology. On the morning of October 7, 2023, Hamas released a rare recording of Deif announcing "Operation Al-Aqsa Flood," marking the day Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel as a response to Israeli raids on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (Islam's third holiest site).

Last November, the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to issue an arrest warrant for Deif, accusing him of "crimes against humanity and war crimes." The ICC also issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" for Israel's actions in the war in Gaza.

Abu Obeida also stated that deputy military commander Marwan Issa had also died, and announced the deaths of several other commanders, including weapons and combat services commander Ghazi Abu Tamaa, manpower commander and head of the supply department Raed Thabet, and Khan Yunis Brigade commander Rafei Salama. Israel claimed that they killed Issa in March. At the time, senior Hamas officials told Al Jazeera that the group's political bureau had not received evidence of Issa's death.