Israel said it targeted the Hamas military commander in a massive attack in the southern Gaza Strip that killed at least 71 people, according to local authorities.
It is not yet clear whether Mohammed Deif was among the dead. But Israeli authorities confirmed that he and a second Hamas commander, Rafa Salama, were the targets of an attack. Hamas immediately rejected the claim.
Mohammed Deif is widely considered the main architect of the October 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and sparked the war between Israel and Hamas. He has been at the top of Israel’s most wanted list for years and has reportedly escaped multiple Israeli assassination attempts in the past.
His possible death threatens to derail ceasefire talks and would be seen as a major Israeli victory in the nine-month-old campaign.
“These false allegations only serve to conceal the extent of the horrific massacre”Hamas said in a statement responding to Israel.
The Israeli army claimed that “other terrorists had hidden among the civilians” and described the location of the attack as an area surrounded by trees, several buildings and sheds.
Several witnesses said the strike fell inside Muwasi, the Israeli-designated security zone that stretches from northern Rafah to Khan Younis. The coastal strip is where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians have fled in search of safety, many sheltering in makeshift tents.
