Mohammed Deif
Mohammed Deif (Arabic: مُحَمَّدٌ ٱلضَّيْفُ) is the head of staff in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement.
Mohammed Deif مُحَمَّدٌ ٱلضَّيْفُ | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri |
Nickname | Abu Khaled (kunya)
The mastermind (Palestinian nickname)[source?] The cat with nine lives (Israeli nickname)[source?] |
Born | 1965 (age 58–59) Khan Yunis refugee camp, Gaza Strip (under Egyptian rule) |
Allegiance | Hamas |
Years of service | 1987–present |
Rank | Chief of Staff (2002–present) |
Commands held | Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades |
Battles/wars |
He was born in 1965 in the Khan Yunis Refugee Camp inside the Gaza Strip that was set up by Israel after the 1948 Palestine War.[1][2]
He joined the Hamas movement in 1987,[3][4] and went by the alias Mohammed Deif, which means guest in the Arabic language, possibly referring to how he would live like a nomad to not be targeted by the government of Israel.
Terrorist designations
changeIn 2015 and 2023 respectively, he was designated a terrorist by the EU and USA.[5][6][7]
Assassination attempts and attacks on family
changeOn the morning of Wednesday 11 October 2023, the family home of Deif's father was hit by an airstrike in Khan Younis; his father, brother and at least two other relatives were killed in the attack.[8]
Attempt | Date | Location | Weapon | Deaths | Injuries | Context | During |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 [9] | 2001 [9] | ||||||
2002 | a car in Gaza[10] | 2 people[11] | Deif lost an eye[9][10] | ||||
4 [12] | 2006 July 12 | Deif had spinal injuries[13][4][14] | IDF soldier Gilad Shalit taken hostage.[13] | 2006 Israel-Lebanon crisis | |||
2014 August 19 | multifamily house, in Sheikh Radwan, Gaza City | air strike with 6 missiles | 6+ killed: 2 women, 2 teenagers, 2 infants.[15] | 15 people injured (1+ child),[15] | Deif family killings | 2014 Gaza War | |
[a] | 2023 October 11 (morning) | air strike | Airstrike on the family home of Deif's father.[8] | Israel–Hamas war | |||
8+ [10] | 2024 July 13 | Al-Mawasi, Rafah | air strike, with 8 missiles | 90[16][17][18] | 300[16][17][18] | 13 July 2024 al-Mawasi attack |
References
change- ↑ Messing, Dafna (2021-05-11). "Who are you, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, aka Muhammed Deif?". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 2023-03-04.
- ↑ Nakhoul, Samia; Bassam, Laila (2023-10-11). "Who is Mohammed Deif, the Hamas commander behind the attack on Israel?". Reuters. Retrieved 2023-11-04.
- ↑ "Who Is Mohammed Deif? Hamas' Elusive Commander Remains A Mystery Figure". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 2023-11-19.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Hamas' deadly 'phantom': the man behind the attacks". Australian Financial Review. 2023-10-26. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ↑ AP and ToI Staff. "Arch-terrorists Kuntar, Deif put on US blacklist". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ↑ "Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 2017-01-21. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ↑ AFP (8 December 2023). "EU adds Hamas military chiefs Mohammed Deif, Marwan Issa to terror blacklist". Times of Israel.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Israel Bombs House Of Hamas Military Chief's Father". NDTV. 11 October 2023.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 oussama (2024-08-02). "7 Failed Attempts to Assassinate Mohammed Deif.. Has the Eighth Succeeded?". En.ImArabic. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 "Israel has tried to assassinate 'The Guest' seven times. Here's how his luck may have finally run out". ABC News. 2024-07-19. Retrieved 2024-10-10.
- ↑ "Who is Mohammed Deif, the elusive Hamas commander behind the attack on Israel?". cnbctv18.com. 2023-10-11. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
- ↑ "Israel's Most Wanted Man Seriously Injured In Bombing". www.wltx.com. 12 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Israel's Most Wanted Man Seriously Injured In Bombing". www.wltx.com. 12 July 2006. Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
… a serious injury to the spine that required four hours of surgery and could paralyze him.
- ↑ Pelham, Nicolas (20 October 2023). "Hamas's deadly "phantom": the man behind the attacks". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Rights, Al Mezan Center for Human (26 June 2015). "Al Dalu family, Gaza City". Al Mezan Center for Human Rights. Retrieved 15 August 2024.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Gadzo, Mersiha. "Israel's war on Gaza updates: Israeli strikes on al-Mawasi kill at least 90". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-15.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 "IDF says senior Hamas commander Rafa Salama killed in Israeli air strike". BBC News. 2024-07-14. Archived from the original on 1 August 2024. Retrieved 2024-08-01.
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 Levy, Gideon (13 July 2024). "How Many Dead Children in Gaza Is Mohammed Deif Worth?". Haaretz. Archived from the original on 3 August 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.