Hamas, the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has confirmed the killing of Mohammed Deif, the head of its military wing.
The confirmation from the Palestinian radical group comes six months after Israel announced it had killed Deif. Israel had said Deif was killed during airstrikes in southern Gaza in July 2024.
Deif had long been the leader of Hamas's military wing, and Israel has said he was one of the architects of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that sparked the 15-month war in Gaza.
For years, Israel had him on its most wanted list, and since 2015 he has been on the American list of "international terrorists."
Deif had survived a series of Israeli assassination attempts and had not appeared in public for decades. Deif had taken over the leadership of Hamas's military wing in 2002.
During the war in Gaza, Israel has also killed other senior members of the radical Palestinian group, including the head of its political wing, Ismail Haniyeh.
Hamas' confirmation of Deif's killing comes as the group continues to release hostages under a ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month.
The agreement provides for the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and the return of Palestinians to northern Gaza.
The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked Israel, killing nearly 1,200 people and kidnapping nearly 250 others. As a result of the Israeli offensive, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza and the Palestinian enclave has suffered extensive destruction. /REL (A2 Televizion)
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