Israel Strikes Hamas Terror Mastermind’s Hideout

Latest Developments

Israeli jets struck the hideout of Hamas terrorist mastermind Muhammed Deif in the Gaza Strip humanitarian zone of al-Mawasi on July 13. The Israeli military’s surprise air strike on al-Mawasi, a largely barren area of southern Gaza where Israel has enabled Palestinians displaced by the war to shelter in safety, killed dozens of people, local officials claimed. According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Deif and his deputy Rafa’a Salameh were targeted with “large munitions above ground while in a low building between the al-Mawasi area and Khan Younis in southern Gaza, and not in a tunnel,” The Times of Israel reported. It was not clear in the immediate aftermath of the strike whether Deif, a veteran military leader of the Iran-backed terrorist organization and a key architect of the October 7 atrocities, and Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, had been eliminated.

The IDF emphasized that the strike occurred “not in a tent camp for displaced Palestinians, but rather in a fenced-off Hamas compound within a civilian environment.” Dozens of Hamas operatives, including Deif and Salameh’s guards, were also in the vicinity of the strike, military sources told The Times of Israel. “The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds,” the IDF stated in a post on X. A spokesman for Hamas claimed that only civilians had been killed, asserting that the strike demonstrated that Israel was not interested in a ceasefire agreement.

Expert Analysis

“If the IDF has successfully taken out Deif, this would be a major victory against the top Hamas military commander and one of the chief architects of October 7. Israel said from the outset that, while it would hold fire in the Gaza humanitarian zones that it designated for the protection of innocent civilians, all bets would be off should Hamas exploit this measure. If top terrorists tried to hide and plan more outrages in al-Mawasi, any bloodshed there is on their hands.” — Mark Dubowitz, FDD CEO

“Deif was not only at the top of Israel’s hit list. The United States added him to its list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists in 2015. His elimination, after at least six previous attempts to kill him over three decades failed, would be good news for the entire world.” — Joe Truzman, Research Analyst at FDD’s Long War Journal

Elusive Deif Previously Targeted by Israel

A veteran leader of Hamas, Deif joined the Islamist organization in 1987 during the first Palestinian intifada. He was at the head of Israel’s most-wanted list of terrorists since 1995 “for his involvement in the planning and execution of a large number of terror attacks, including many bus bombings in the 1990s and early 2000s.” Described by one associate as “a man in the shadows,” Israel launched seven previous assassination attempts on Deif during the last 25 years. Following the October 7 atrocities, Deif released a video statement in which he dubbed the operation as the “Al-Aqsa Flood,” saying, “Today the rage of Al Aqsa, the rage of our people and nation is exploding. Our mujahedeen, today is your day to make this criminal understand that its time has ended.”

Related Analysis

“IDF Discovers Command Room and Weapons in UNRWA Gaza Headquarters,” FDD Flash Brief

“Top Hamas Terror Commander Eliminated in Gaza,” FDD Flash Brief

“Top Hamas Terrorist Targeted, Fate Unclear,” FDD Flash Brief