Mounting Evidence that Hamas Terror Chief Eliminated

July 22, 2024

by: Yoav Zitun, Einav Halabi ~ Ynetnews

Monday, 22 July 2024 | IDF [Israel Defense Forces] Spokesperson for Arabic Media, Colonel Avichay Adraee, said on Sunday that all indications are that Mohammed Deif was killed in Israel’s strike on Khan Younis last week  However, there was no final confirmation.

“In the past two days, the signs indicating the success of the operation to eliminate Mohammed Deif have increased, but as of now, there is no 100% official confirmation,” Adraee said. “Israel relies on intelligence information in this complex and special operation, and the air force [IAF] launched the bombs and missiles to the location after confirming that Khan Younis Brigade commander Ra’fat Salameh was sitting next to Mohammed Deif.”

According to some reports, Israel had confirmation that Deif was killed but the IDF had not officially confirmed them. The strike itself was carried out in several stages. In the first stage, the air force targeted the section of a building in the compound where the senior Hamas leader was staying. Then a missile was fired and destroyed the entire building. The third strike sealed a ring of fire around the entire area to prevent forces from reaching and assisting him. The fourth part involved a bunker-busting missile that struck underground.

Israelis believed that there was an underground section beneath the compound or a path leading to an underground complex, so even if Deif managed to escape from the building towards it, he may have been killed below ground. One of the reasons for deciding to demolish the building before hitting the underground was that it was easier for the bomb to reach the underground when the building was flattened.

IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said in his statement on Friday that “the signs are increasing” that the head of Hamas’s military wing Mohammed Deif was indeed eliminated. He additionally noted that Khan Younis Brigade commander Ra’fat Salameh “was certainly eliminated, and Mohammed Deif was sitting next to Salameh. Hamas is hiding what happened to Deif, but we will find out and reveal what happened to him.”

On Thursday, Adraee revealed recordings of Gaza residents shortly after the news of the assassination attempt on Deif. In the conversation, one speaker was heard telling his friend: “They eliminated Deif! Inshallah, they will eliminate Sinwar as well.”

His friend replied: “Inshallah, I hope so.”

These conversations were intercepted by military intelligence shortly after the news of the assassination attempt near the displaced persons’ tents in Al-Mawasi last Saturday. “The authentic voices from Gaza testify to the feelings of the residents of the Strip towards Hamas leaders and their hope that all of them will be eliminated to end the war,” wrote Adraee.

Meanwhile, additional details were revealed today about the assassination attempt on Deif. The air force kept pairs of fighter jets on standby in the air for over half a day, waiting for the moment the decision to strike was made so as to avoid wasting precious time that would increase the chance of Deif and his deputy, Salameh, escaping. Thus, pilots were able to drop the bombs at the right moment, without having precise intelligence for a specific minute.

Posted on July 22, 2024

Source: (This article was originally published by Ynetnews on July 21, 2024. Time-related language has been modified to reflect our republication today. See original article at this link.)

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