Who was Mohammed Deif?
Deif, aged 58, had survived seven previous Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent in 2021. After the October 7 attack, he was believed to be directing military operations from the tunnels and backstreets of Gaza, alongside senior colleagues. Rising through the Hamas ranks over 30 years, Deif developed the group’s tunnel network and bomb-making expertise, making him one of Israel’s most wanted figures.
Born as Mohammad Masri in 1965 in the Khan Younis Refugee Camp, Deif joined Hamas during the first Intifada, which began in 1987. He was arrested by Israel in 1989 and spent about 16 months in detention. Deif had a degree in science from the Islamic University in Gaza, where he studied physics, chemistry, and biology. His wife, seven-month-old son, and three-year-old daughter were killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2014.
Mohammed Dief’s Impact of His Death
Hamas did not immediately respond to the Israeli announcement of Deif’s death. His survival over the years had made him a folk hero among some Palestinians, despite being held responsible for numerous Israeli deaths in suicide bombings. Deif, along with Yahya Sinwar and Marwan Issa, formed a military council that planned the October 7 raid, the deadliest attack in Israel’s history, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and the taking of more than 250 hostages.
The October 7 Israel Attack
The attack, named “Al-Aqsa Flood” by Deif, was seen as retaliation for Israeli raids at Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. A source close to Hamas stated that Deif began planning the operation in May 2021, following a raid on the mosque that outraged the Arab and Muslim world. “It was triggered by scenes and footage of Israel storming Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan, beating worshippers, attacking them, dragging elderly and young men out of the mosque,” the source said.
The plan for the October 7 attack involved a prolonged effort at deception. Israel was led to believe that Hamas was not interested in starting a conflict and was focusing on economic development in Gaza. However, while Israel provided economic incentives to Gazan workers, Hamas fighters were being trained and drilled. In his recording, Deif stated that Hamas had repeatedly warned Israel to stop its actions against Palestinians and had decided to “put an end to all this.”
Nearly 40,000 Palestinians Killed by Israel
Since October 7, more than 39,400 Palestinians have been killed in Israel’s military campaign, and much of Gaza has been reduced to rubble. In May 2024, the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor requested arrest warrants for Deif, Sinwar, and another Hamas figure over the attack, as well as for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense chief over Israel’s response. Both Israel and Hamas dismissed the ICC accusations.
