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Palestinian Territories
Hamas said on Sunday (July 14) that its military chief Mohammed Deif was fine despite an Israeli attempt to kill him in an air strike. Speaking to the news agency AFP, a senior official from the Palestinian militant group said, "Commander Mohammed Deif is well and directly overseeing the operations of the Hamas military wing."
Deif was the target of the Israeli strike on the Gaza town of Khan Younis on Saturday, the Israeli military said. He is an elusive figure who has rarely spoken and never appeared in public, and who has survived at least seven Israeli assassination attempts.
Mastermind of October 7 attacks
Deif and two other Hamas leaders formed a three-man military council that planned the October 7, 2023, attacks in which 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage.
Also read | Israel-Hamas war: Over 6,000 Palestinians missing since conflict started
Following the attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government vowed to kill the three: Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' leader in Gaza, Deif, head of the military wing, and Marwan Issa his deputy, who was reported killed by Israel in March.
In an audio tape broadcast as Hamas fired thousands of rockets on October 7, Deif named the raid "Al-Aqsa Flood", signalling the attack was payback for Israeli raids at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque.
A source close to Hamas told the news agency Reuters that Deif began planning the operation in May 2021, after a raid on Islam's third holiest site that enraged the Arab and Muslim world.
90 killed in Saturday's strike
The Israeli strike meant to target Deif killed at least 90 civilians in the Gaza Strip, claims Hamas. The victims included women and children, and at least 300 people were wounded in the attack.
Also watch | Who is Mohammed Deif? The mastermind of October 7 attack
With this attack, the death toll in the Palestinian region has climbed to 38,584. More than 88,800 people have been injured so far.
(With inputs from agencies)
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing developments on the Israel-Palestine conflict after the Hamas attacks. However, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.