Israeli forces have raided and destroyed a house belonging to an infamous Hamas militant believed to have played a key role in the October 7 attacks.
The Israel Defense Force (IDF) says Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas’ armed wing, played a “pivotal role in conceiving, planning and executing” the surprise attack across the border into Israel – which left around 1,300 people dead and saw hundreds more taken back to the Gaza Strip as hostages.
The Jerusalem Post reports soldiers from the 82nd Battalion of the IDF’s 7th Brigade raided the home in southern Gaza on Friday.
An identification card belonging to Deif was found at the property.
Soldiers posed for a photo inside the property with an Israeli flag before a controlled explosion was carried out.
Born Mohammed al-Masri in the Gaza Strip in 1965, Deif means “guest” in Arabic – potentially referring to the way he moves around to avoid being targeted.
Deif, who is still at large, has been subject to at least seven assassination attempts over the years and has been described as the Israeli military’s “most wanted man”.
After joining Hamas in 1987 he was arrested by the Israels in 1989 but released 16 months later as part of a prisoner exchange.
Since then Israel says he has been responsible for masterminding a number of suicide attacks against Israeli targets, including the 1996 Jaffa Road bus bombings that left 45 civilians and soldiers dead.
He was detained by the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Authority in 2000 but escaped a few months later.
Deif, who became leader of Hamas’ Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades in 2002, is on the USA’s list of “specially designated terrorists” and the European Union’s terrorist blacklist.
In their profile on him, the IDF noted: “It is because of extremist leaders like Mohammed Deif that Hamas’ reign of terror continues to thrive in Gaza, directly harming the safety of Gazan civilians just as much as it does the safety of Israelis.”
