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The fate of Hamas’ top military commander, Muhammad Deif, remained uncertain following a large Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as per a New York Times report. The impact of the attack on ongoing cease-fire negotiations was also unclear.
However, the Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency confirmed that another target, Rafa Salameh, the leader of Hamas forces in Khan Younis, had been killed in the strike.The attack followed weeks of surveillance on a secret compound used by Salameh, according to Israeli defense officials.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has also acknowledged that there was “no certainty” that Deif had been killed.
The Israeli military said its strike on Saturday aimed at Deif and Salama in “an open area” that was “not a tent complex, but an operational compound.”
The Gaza health ministry reported that at least 90 people, including women and children, were killed in the strike, with 300 wounded. Hospitals in Gaza were reportedly overwhelmed by the influx of injured Palestinians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised news conference that there was no “absolute certainty” regarding Deif’s fate. A Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, said in an interview that Deif was still alive, but the group has not provided evidence to support this claim.
Deif, considered one of the architects of the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, is the second most senior Hamas figure in the territory after leader Yahya Sinwar. Israeli officials described Salameh as a close associate of Deif and one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack.
The strike on Salameh’s compound was authorized after prolonged observation and indications that Deif might be present. The attack involved at least five precision-guided bombs dropped by Israeli fighter jets.
Cease-fire talks, which had been stalled, had recently resumed via US and Arab mediators. The negotiations aimed to exchange the roughly 120 hostages remaining in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. While the strike’s impact on the talks was not immediately clear, a Hamas political bureau member denied reports that the group had decided to halt negotiations.
Hamas described the Israeli strike as a “massacre” targeting an area with tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians but did not mention the fate of Deif or Salameh. Netanyahu stated that Israeli security officials had assured him there were no indications of hostages in the vicinity of the strike.
Analysts believe that despite a potential interruption in cease-fire negotiations, Hamas’ fundamental interest in a deal remains unchanged. The growing Israeli military pressure on the group had brought it to the negotiating table, and Hamas has been pushed into a corner militarily after nine months of conflict.
However, the Israeli military and Shin Bet security agency confirmed that another target, Rafa Salameh, the leader of Hamas forces in Khan Younis, had been killed in the strike.The attack followed weeks of surveillance on a secret compound used by Salameh, according to Israeli defense officials.
Israel’s PM Benjamin Netanyahu has also acknowledged that there was “no certainty” that Deif had been killed.
The Israeli military said its strike on Saturday aimed at Deif and Salama in “an open area” that was “not a tent complex, but an operational compound.”
The Gaza health ministry reported that at least 90 people, including women and children, were killed in the strike, with 300 wounded. Hospitals in Gaza were reportedly overwhelmed by the influx of injured Palestinians.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a televised news conference that there was no “absolute certainty” regarding Deif’s fate. A Hamas official, Khalil al-Hayya, said in an interview that Deif was still alive, but the group has not provided evidence to support this claim.
Deif, considered one of the architects of the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the ongoing war in Gaza, is the second most senior Hamas figure in the territory after leader Yahya Sinwar. Israeli officials described Salameh as a close associate of Deif and one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack.
The strike on Salameh’s compound was authorized after prolonged observation and indications that Deif might be present. The attack involved at least five precision-guided bombs dropped by Israeli fighter jets.
Cease-fire talks, which had been stalled, had recently resumed via US and Arab mediators. The negotiations aimed to exchange the roughly 120 hostages remaining in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. While the strike’s impact on the talks was not immediately clear, a Hamas political bureau member denied reports that the group had decided to halt negotiations.
Hamas described the Israeli strike as a “massacre” targeting an area with tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians but did not mention the fate of Deif or Salameh. Netanyahu stated that Israeli security officials had assured him there were no indications of hostages in the vicinity of the strike.
Analysts believe that despite a potential interruption in cease-fire negotiations, Hamas’ fundamental interest in a deal remains unchanged. The growing Israeli military pressure on the group had brought it to the negotiating table, and Hamas has been pushed into a corner militarily after nine months of conflict.
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