The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has confirmed that the July 13th operation that was rumored to have eliminated Mohammad Deif, the “Osama bin Laden of Gaza,” was indeed successful. The IDF announced in mid-July that they had targeted the place where Deif had been staying in a forested area near civilian displacement tents. They were hesitant to confirm the death, however, as Deif had already escaped at least two assassination attempts before, garnering him the title “the man with nine lives” among Gazans.
The word “Deif” means guest and was given to him because of the legend that he stayed in a different home each night to avoid Israeli intelligence. He was said to have lost an eye and injured his leg in previous assassination attempts, but was rarely ever seen or photographed. Some said he lived solely underneath Gaza in the tunnels. Whatever the facts may have been, he was regarded as a legend by Gazans and hailed as a hero.
Deif played a main role in the October 7th massacre in which nearly 1,200 Israelis, including women, children, and elderly, were ruthlessly murdered. He was said to be the mastermind behind the attack, working closely with Yahya Sinwar, who is still at large and rumored to be hiding behind a human shield of hostages.
“Over the years, Deif directed, planned, and carried out numerous terrorist attacks against the State of Israel,” the IDF said. “Deif operated side-by-side with Yahya Sinwar, and during the war, he commanded Hamas’ terrorist activity in the Gaza Strip by issuing commands and instructions to senior members of Hamas’ Military Wing.”
The confirmation of his elimination comes mere days after the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas, and Fuad Shuker, the No. 2 Hezbollah leader behind the soccer field attack that killed 12 children. The leaders were assassinated within hours of each other. While Israel has not claimed responsibility for the attack on Iranian soil that took out Haniyeh, they are sending a clear message that they mean business.
The death of Haniyeh has brought uncertainty to the future of hostage deal negotiations. Haniyeh was the main negotiator on behalf of the terrorist group Hamas. While some fear it has put back any hopes of a deal soon, on a broader scale, Israel is systematically defeating Hamas as they promised they would. Perhaps Sinwar will be more inclined now to make a deal after seeing his main conspirators eliminated. But considering that Hamas views death as martyrdom, it’s hard to negotiate with someone who has nothing to lose.
The road ahead may not be as quick or smooth as the hostage families would have hoped, but Netanyahu is fighting this war the right way — by breaking the neck of the enemy. Hamas’ days are numbered. While it’s too soon to call, the end of this war may be nearing.
