Press
After Israel’s air strike on the Hamas military chief, which left numerous people dead, his fate is uncertain. According to Hamas, Mohammed Deif is alive. Israel’s army chief simply says: Wait and see.
Tel Aviv/Gaza (dpa) – After Israel’s airstrike on the military chief of the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the terrorist organization wants to keep his fate secret, according to the Israeli army. “It is still too early to conclude the results of the attack, which Hamas is trying to conceal,” said Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. The army attacked Mohammed Deif on Saturday near Chan Yunis in southern Gaza. Dozens of people were killed. It is unclear whether Deif was also killed or injured.
The Wall Street Journal quoted Yossi Kuperwasser, former head of the research department of Israeli military intelligence, as saying it was “very difficult to believe” that anyone survived the attack. But it could take days or weeks before Israel has enough information to say for sure what happened to Deif. In March, Israel’s army confirmed the killing of Deif’s deputy Marwan Issa only two weeks after an airstrike on him. Hamas, on the other hand, never confirmed Issa’s death.
A Hamas representative in Beirut denied on Sunday that Deif had been killed. The head of the Hamas Brigades is often called the “Phantom.” He is said to have survived at least seven Israeli attacks. Israel will therefore be particularly careful to determine whether Deif was killed this time, Kuperwasser said. A photo of his body would be more informative than intelligence information. Deif is deputy to the Hamas leader in Gaza, Jihia al-Sinwar. Israel’s goal is to capture or kill both of them. dpa
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