Despite Hamas’ denials, the IDF states that Mohammed Deif was “likely” killed since it would be “hard to survive” the strike. But denial is to the advantage of Hamas. According to the Jerusalem Post, the death of Mohammed Deif represents “the nail in Hamas’s coffin.”
It is the combination of him being Hamas’s military mastermind and the terror groups’ desperate and pressing need to rebuild its military structure that could strategically doom a Hamas comeback.
IDF chief Brig.-Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser states:
Hamas has currently lost control over its base physical territory and is in danger of being permanently reduced to a much more fledging and small terror group from one that once dominated the lives of 2.3 million Gazans.
So it isn’t difficult to see why Hamas may opt to lie to the world in order to perpetuate the illusion of its continued strength. In desperation, Hamas’ deputy leader Khalil Al-Hayya told Al Jazeera TV:
We say to [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu that Muhammad Deif is listening to you right now and mocking your lies.
In light of the fact that Deif was followed for days and that the IDF delivered a targeted air strike, the likelihood of Dief’s survival is slim.
“Israel says Hamas commander likely killed despite denial,” Bloomberg News, July 14, 2024:
Israeli security officials said Sunday they were pretty confident their targeted attack against Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif was successful despite the terror group’s denial.
The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said they’d been following Deif’s movements for a couple of days, pinpointed his location and carried out an attack on Saturday that would have been hard to survive. Rafa Salama, a Hamas brigade commander, was killed in the attack, the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement, which didn’t refer to Deif.
If Deif did escape, it wouldn’t be the first time. The supreme commander of Hamas’s Qassam Brigades, he has been such a shadowy figure that the only known picture of him dates back to when he was a teenager. He’s been on the run for two decades and has never appeared in public.
The assessment by Israeli security analysts is that his death — if confirmed — will be a major blow against Hamas and will help force the group to close the deal currently being negotiated for a ceasefire to return Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and bring aid to the Gaza Strip.
To many outsiders, such a claim seems counter-intuitive: a deadly attack during negotiations isn’t likely to inspire flexibility. But Israeli officials are persuaded that the only way to get Hamas to close a ceasefire deal is by cornering it and eliminating its commanders….
deze MN bee says
Unless the bomb just knicked his ear.
A miracle by favour of Allah.
Cynthia says
Israel is right. Hamas will not give up the hostages until they have no other choice, which means military pressure. Any war with Muslims must be overwhelming victory, as they only understand strength. Trying to be humanitarian is seen by them as weakness. The US fails because of their lack of understanding of the Muslim world and wants Israel to fail as well.
Every war with Gaza had Western pressure to stop before victory, and every 4 years they regroup and attack again. More people are killed on both sides. This is humanitarian?
Of course, the US election is always a cynical calculation.
Keith O says
If he is still breathing, then prove it! Or is he so seriously wounded that he is not capable of functioning?
gravenimage says
Exactly, Keith. If he is still around it should be easy to prove.
Rick Gordon says
Hate, ignorance, and stupidity are the watchwords of Hamas.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Maybe Israel needs to retrieve Dief’s body, or at least DNA samples from the rubble
JustJim says
Listen to Hamas leadership on the subject. Then, knowing whatever they say is a lie, proceed.
JS says
Right. But they lie about everything. In fact, what they say about Jews, Christians and what they like to call us ‘infidels’ is what they themselves are and do, and that’s for all of Islam.