Israel Confirms Death Of Hamas' Second-In-Command, Mohammed Deif

Israel has confirmed the death of Mohammed Deif, the second-in-command of Hamas, in a strike that took place in Gaza on July 13.

What Happened: The Israeli military had previously expressed strong certainty about Deif’s death in an attack on the city of Khan Younis. However, Hamas had refuted these claims, asserting that Deif was alive and that the Israeli operation had resulted in the deaths of around 100 other individuals, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Deif had become a prime target for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following Hamas’ incursion into southern Israel on Oct. 7, during which 1,200 people were killed and around 250 were taken hostage. The Israeli government had pledged to eliminate all senior Hamas figures.

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Deif was considered one of the main planners of the Oct. 7 attack and had pre-recorded a speech announcing the assault. This confirmation of his death follows the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political leader, in Iran’s capital on Wednesday morning. The Israeli government has neither confirmed nor denied the allegations made by the Iranians and Hamas that Israel targeted Haniyeh in a strike.

Why It Matters: The recent events in the Israel-Hamas conflict have been escalating. The killing of Haniyeh in Tehran, Iran, was followed by a direct strike on Israel ordered by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in retaliation for Haniyeh’s death. This move marked a significant escalation of tensions in the Middle East.

These developments come after Hamas had urged the U.S. to pressure Israel to end the war in Gaza ahead of U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken‘s visit to the Middle East. The conflict has resulted in a significant number of casualties, with the recent deaths of key Hamas figures likely to further escalate the situation.

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This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Navdeep Yadav.