The Life and Death of Mohammed Deif: Hamas' Military Leader Behind the Oct. 7 Attack

Mohammed Deif, Hamas' military leader, orchestrated the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel. His career with Hamas spanned decades, marked by numerous Israeli assassination attempts. Deif was finally killed in an Israeli airstrike on July 13. His legacy includes mastermind tactics, such as the 'Al-Aqsa Flood' raid.

Mohammed Deif, the military leader of Hamas and mastermind behind the Oct. 7, 2023, assault on southern Israel, was killed in an Israeli airstrike on July 13, marking a significant blow to the militant group. The Israeli military confirmed his death in Gaza's Khan Yunis area on Thursday. Deif had been an elusive figure, targeted by Israel for decades, and had survived multiple assassination attempts.

Deif, 58, directed military operations from Gaza's tunnels and backstreets, developing Hamas' tunnel network and bomb-making expertise. He rose through the ranks over 30 years, becoming a folk hero for some Palestinians. He and two other Hamas leaders formed a military council that planned the Oct. 7 raid, the deadliest attack in Israel's history, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in over 250 hostages.

The attack was partly in response to Israeli raids at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque. Deif's survival and military strategies made him a key figure in Hamas. His death in the prolonged Israeli campaign in Gaza underscores the ongoing conflict's severity and the deep-rooted anger fueling it.

(With inputs from agencies.)