All news
30 Jan, 19:28

Hamas military wing confirms its commander Mohammed Deif was killed

Spokesman for the Qassam Brigades said the killing of the key figures in the group’s leadership didn’t cause "vacuum" in the command

CAIRO, January 30. /TASS/. Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, confirmed that its commander Mohammed Deif has been killed.

"We inform our people and our supporters around the world that Mohammed Deif has been killed," Abu Obaida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, said in a video posted to Telegram.

The spokesman also confirmed the death of Deif's deputy, Marwan Issa. He said the killing of the key figures in the group’s leadership didn’t cause "vacuum" in the command.

Mohammed Deif headed up the Qassam Brigades in 2002 and was one of the most wanted Hamas operatives in Israel. Even though he planned most of the group's attacks and operations, he was distinguished by a highly secretive management style: He avoided public appearances, did not speak to the media, and often gave orders through audio recordings. On November 21, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Deif as one of the main driving forces behind the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. He was accused of murder, torture, rape, cruel treatment, extermination and hostage-taking.

The Israel Defense Forces announced in August that it killed Deif in a July 13 strike on the town of Khan Younis in southern Gaza. A few months earlier, on March 26, Israel announced it killed Marwan Issa, the number three in the Hamas hierarchy. The group then didn’t confirm his death and said Israel spread the allegations about killing Issa in a bid to cover up the crises it was facing.