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IDF says Hamas chief Mohammed Deif likely dead, news channel issues confirmation

‘Signs increasingly seem to suggest Deif was eliminated,’ says IDF spokesman, while Israeli news outlet claims it has obtained confirmation the Hamas military leader was indeed killed.

By World Israel News Staff

Mohammed Deif, chief of staff of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, was likely killed in an IDF airstrike in the Gaza Strip on July 13th, the Israeli military said over the weekend, despite Hamas claims Deif survived the attack.

While the IDF confirmed last week that Deif’s deputy, Rafa’a Salameh, was killed in the airstrike in southern Gaza near Al-Mawasi, Israel has been unable to confirm that Deif, the second most senior Hamas official in Gaza after Yahya Sinwar, was also eliminated.

A day after the strike, Hamas claimed that Deif was “alive and well,” while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly acknowledged Israel was unsure of Deif’s condition.

Over the weekend, however, IDF spokesman Avichay Adraee spoke with Sky News Arabic to discuss last week’s airstrike.

Adraee emphasized that Israel is still unable to confirm with certainty that Deif was killed, it appears increasingly likely that the Al-Qassam Brigades chief was in fact eliminated.

“Over the past two days, the signs are growing that the targeted killing operation against Muhammed Deif was successful,” said Adraee. “But at this point we still do not have 100% official confirmation of that. Israel is relying on intelligence information from this complex special operation, and the air force fired its bombs and missiles at the target after we confirmed the Khan Yunis commander Rafa’a Salameh was there sitting next to Muhammed Deif.”

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“We have confirmed with 100% certainty that Salameh was killed in that attack, and so the signs point to Muhammed Deif also having been killed. But we still need full confirmation and we will get it.”

Israel’s Channel 14 reported Sunday that it has confirmed Deif’s elimination. The report did not cite a source, however.