Israel Says It Killed Hamas Commander Mohammed Deif in Air Strike

Mohammed Deif was a top Hamas leader and is believed to have played a key role in directing the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Gazans look at debris following an Israeli military strike near the city of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, on July 13, 2024. Bashar Taleb/AFP via Getty Images

The Israeli military has said it killed Mohammed Deif, a commander of the Hamas terrorist group, in a July 13 air strike in the Khan Yunis area of the Gaza Strip.

Israeli military and intelligence officials had suspected Deif was killed in the strike but had not previously been able to corroborate this belief. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Aug. 1 that new intelligence assessments had confirmed its belief that Deif was killed in the strike.