Israeli Military Claims To Kill Hamas Brigade Military Wing Commander Al Qassam Muhammad Deif

Illustration of al-Qassam Brigade. (Twitter/@kocovich)

JAKARTA - Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Muhammad Defif, commander of the Hamas military wing, was killed in Israeli airstrikes in the southern Gaza Strip last month.

The military said it had obtained intelligence information confirming its death in recent hours.

Defif was targeted by an attack on the complex owned by Rafa'a Salameh, commander of the Khan Younis Hamas Brigade, in the Khan Younis region, on July 13, reported The Times of Israel August 1.

A day later, Salameh's death was confirmed by the military, but the IDF said it had no final information on Def.

The IDF believes its intelligence information shows Def arriving at Salameh's compound is very accurate, and that the two are together in the building that was targeted by some heavy ammunition.

Israeli fighter jets had patrolled the compound for half a day before the attack, after the IDF received initial indications that Def had joined Samaleh. At some point, two jets are in the air above the site.

Once Deif's intelligence information arrived at the compound confirmed by the military, the jets were given orders to attack, which was carried out in just a few minutes.

The IDF released footage of the attack.

It is known that Defif (58), who has led the Al-Qassam Izzuddin Brigade for more than two decades, has long been one of Israel's most wanted terrorist figures.

He is considered to be the architect of Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, whose local authorities killed about 1,200 people dead and about 251 others taken to Gaza as hostages.