HE HAS SURVIVED EIGHT ISRAELI ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS SINCE 2001

IDF: No 100% certainty that mastermind behind Oct. 7 massacre has been eliminated

IDF Arabic Spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee said on Sky News Arabic that there is no official confirmation on Mohammed Deif's elimination.

 

By Shachar Kleiman  

 

Israel Hayom

Jul 21, 2024

 

 

An old photo of Mohammed Deif

 

IDF Arabic Spokesperson Lt. Col. Avichay Adraee clarifies that there is no official confirmation with 100% certainty that Mohammed Deif has been eliminated.

Lt. Col. Adraee told Sky News Arabic: "In the past two days, we have indicated that the evidence suggesting Mohammed Deif was killed is increasing, but so far there is no 100% official confirmation."

 

Mohammed Deif (left) the head of Hamas' military wing, and Rafah Salama, a Hamas brigade commander.

 

As a reminder, the assassination attempt took place last Saturday in Khan Yunis. The IDF confirmed that Deif was near his associate, Rafah Salama, a Hamas brigade commander.

The strike resulted from combined intelligence efforts by the Shin Bet, Military Intelligence, and the Air Force, in cooperation with the Southern Command. It included striking several targets simultaneously using advanced operational methods.

The Israeli strike was based on highly precise intelligence, enabling an immediate strike at a the specific compound within the area, avoiding hits on tent complexes and civilian concentrations. Military officials estimate that a significant number of terrorists were killed in this strike. This operation highlights the complex challenge of fighting a terrorist organization situated close to a civilian population.

However, the operational difficulty in reaching senior terrorists has increased during the war, as they behave like fugitives and sometimes hide within civilian populations. Nevertheless, when favorable conditions for a strike on a specific target are met, as seen on several occasions throughout the war, they are conducted while minimizing harm to non-combatants. So far, this method has successfully allowed the elimination of Marwan Issa, Ahmed Andour, and Ayman Nofal.