Hamas Leader Muhammad Al-Deif: Is the Ghost of Gaza Finally Silenced
Muhammad al-Deif: New Indicators Confirm Death of Hamas Commander
Sources familiar with the Hamas movement have revealed that the movement’s leadership inside and outside the Gaza Strip has received new indicators that include Muhammad al-Deif, the commander-in-chief of the al-Qassam Brigades, the movement’s military wing, which Israel killed.
Sources told Asharq al-Awsat that some of the figures surrounding the guest confirmed, after contacting them and restoring the leadership of the movement, including commander Rafi Salama, who had been cut off since the operation targeting him on July 13 (July 2024), in the Mawasi Khan Yunis area of the southern Gaza Strip.
According to the source, these figures left a written message confirming the loss of contact with the guest and indeed, a few days after the attack, half of the body of a man who was originally related to the guest was found. However, the remains of the body were not confirmed at this time due to the deformation affecting.
Sources said half the body, believed to be that of a guest, was kept for several hours and samples were taken from it before being allowed to be buried in a graveyard in Khan Younis.
Sources indicated that these samples confirmed the figures responsible for Guest’s safety that half of the body belonged to him, but the body’s deformities continued to raise doubts among those close to him and his family that he was indeed there. He was killed, but with the length of his absence and the loss of contact with him, it became clear to the leaders of “al-Qassam” that he had indeed been killed.
Sources explained that the delay in getting the message to the movement leaders confirming the guest’s death was due to security realities, difficulty in communication between the movement leaders and reliance on human staff to convey the message in addition to many complex situations. Regarding the nature of the guest, his movements and his disappearance, it is noted that he surrounded himself with complete secrecy for decades, which prompted some to call him “the shadow man”.
Sources confirmed that at least two people have been investigated, including a “mail correspondent” who passed messages between leaders of the “Qassam Brigades” suspected of collaborating with Israel and reported on the whereabouts and safety of guests, noting that he was from Rafah and was accompanied by another “mail correspondent” of Khan Yunis who was responsible for sending messages directly to Rafi Salama, knew his location and constantly sent messages to him.
The attack took place shortly before noon on July 13, and nearly 90 Palestinians were killed following a series of violent attacks that rocked the Mawasi Khan Younis area.
Hours after the attack, World Source confirmed to Asharq al-Awsat that Rafi Salama, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, was killed, noting that he was buried in a cemetery in the city by some of his relatives and al-Qassam members. The New York Times reported at the time that Israel used several bombs, each weighing 2,000 pounds.
Hamas has repeatedly denied that al-Deif was killed, and its spokesmen have confirmed in recent weeks that he is still alive and leading Qassam, while Israel has each time confirmed his death, the first time with an official announcement. Last August, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Galant said his army had killed al-Deif.