GAZA: The Israeli military said Thursday that it has confirmed that the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July.
Israel targeted Deif in a July 13 strike that hit a compound on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis, but the military said for weeks it was working to determine if he died in the blast. Hamas has denied he was killed. More than 90 other people, including displaced civilians in nearby tents, were killed in the strike, Gaza health officials said at the time.
In a statement Thursday, the Israeli military said that “following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike.”
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
The Israeli confirmation came a day after an apparent Israeli airstrike in Tehran killed Hamas’ top political leader, Ismail Haniyeh. Israel has not confirmed or denied being behind the attack, but Iran has vowed retaliation. Along with Deif and Haniyeh, Israel has vowed to eliminate Hamas’ top leader in Gaza, Yehya Sinwar, but he has so far remained elusive.
Israel says Sinwar and Deif were the masterminds of the Oct. 7 attack in which Hamas-led militants rampaged in southern Israeli communities, killing around 1,200 people and taking some 250 others hostage.
Deif was one of the founders of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, in the 1990s and lead the unit for decades. Under his command, it carried out dozens of suicide bombings against Israelis on buses and at cafes and built up a formidable arsenal of rockets that could strike deep into Israel and often did.
Israeli military confirms death of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif in July strike in Gaza
https://arab.news/cenuk
Israeli military confirms death of Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif in July strike in Gaza
- Israel targeted Deif in a July 13 strike that hit a compound on the outskirts of Khan Younis
Jordan’s king stresses need to preserve Christian presence in Middle East
- King Abdullah II holds talks with religious leaders in Amman
LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan emphasized the importance of preserving a Christian presence in the Middle East on Monday during talks with religious leaders.
In meetings at Al-Husseiniya Palace with Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East and Archimandrite Metodije of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the king called for an end to the violation of Muslim and Christian holy sites in Jerusalem by Israel, which he said was seeking to change the historical and legal status quo, the Petra news agency reported.
The king reaffirmed Jordan’s religious and historical role in protecting holy sites under its Hashemite Custodianship.
Crown Prince Hussein, Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, the king’s chief adviser for religious and cultural affairs, Alaa Batayneh, director of the Office of His Majesty, and Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos III also joined the talks, the report said.
King Abdullah stressed the need for all parties to adhere to the agreement to end the war in Gaza, ensure the flow of aid and prevent escalations in the occupied West Bank.
