New Evidence Suggests Death of Qassam Brigades Leader

Destruction at a site targeted by Israel in Mawasi near Khan Younis on July 13 as part of an operation targeting Qassam leader Mohammed Deif. (AFP)
Destruction at a site targeted by Israel in Mawasi near Khan Younis on July 13 as part of an operation targeting Qassam leader Mohammed Deif. (AFP)
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New Evidence Suggests Death of Qassam Brigades Leader

Destruction at a site targeted by Israel in Mawasi near Khan Younis on July 13 as part of an operation targeting Qassam leader Mohammed Deif. (AFP)
Destruction at a site targeted by Israel in Mawasi near Khan Younis on July 13 as part of an operation targeting Qassam leader Mohammed Deif. (AFP)

Hamas sources have indicated that new evidence points to the assassination of Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades. Israel had previously claimed responsibility for Deif’s death, though Hamas initially denied it.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat, sources close to Deif confirmed that contact with him was lost following an Israeli attack on July 13, 2024, which targeted both Deif and Rafah Salameh, a Qassam commander in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

The sources said a partial body believed to be Deif's was found at the strike site days after the attack, though severe damage made identification difficult. Samples were taken from the body, and it was later buried in Khan Younis.

Tests on these samples reportedly confirmed the remains likely belonged to Deif, but disfigurement left some doubt among his family and associates.

However, after prolonged silence and a complete communication cutoff, Qassam leaders are now convinced Deif was killed.

The delay in confirming Deif’s death, the sources explained, was due to security challenges and limited communication options. Known for his secrecy, Deif was often called "the man of the shadows," which complicated efforts to verify his fate.

Sources say two people, including a “courier” who carried messages between Qassam Brigades leaders, were questioned on suspicion of helping Israel locate Deif and Salameh.

The courier, a Rafah resident, reportedly worked with another messenger from Khan Younis who knew Salameh’s locations and regularly delivered messages to him.

Details on the investigation or whether these individuals were linked to the assassination have not been disclosed.

The July 13 attack, which involved a series of intense airstrikes, killed nearly 90 Palestinians in Khan Younis.

Hours after the strikes, sources confirmed the death of Salameh, the Khan Younis brigade commander, who was buried by relatives and Qassam members. Reports suggested Israel used 2,000-pound bombs in the operation.

Hamas has repeatedly denied Deif’s death, insisting he is alive and still commands the Qassam Brigades. However, Israel has consistently maintained he was killed, with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant officially announcing his death on Aug. 1.



Israel Pounds Southern Lebanon and Beirut Outskirts, Killing Five Medics

Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
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Israel Pounds Southern Lebanon and Beirut Outskirts, Killing Five Medics

Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)
Fire and smoke erupt from a building just after an Israeli airstrike in Beirut's southern Chiyah neighborhood on November 22, 2024, amid the ongoing war between Israel and Hezbollah. (AFP)

Israeli forces pounded southern Lebanon and the outskirts of the capital Beirut on Friday, killing at least five medics, and ground troops clashed with Hezbollah fighters in the south.

Israel has pushed on with its intense military campaign against the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, tempering hopes that efforts by a US envoy will lead to an imminent ceasefire.

US mediator Amos Hochstein said this week in Beirut that a truce was "within our grasp". He travelled on to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz before returning to Washington, the news outlet Axios said.

His trip was aimed at ending more than a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah along Lebanon's southern border, which escalated when Israel ramped up its strikes in late September and sent ground troops into Lebanon on Oct. 1.

Israeli troops have fought Hezbollah in a strip of towns along the border and this week pushed deeper to the edges of Khiyam, a town some six km (four miles) from the border.

Hezbollah said it had fired rockets at Israeli troops east of Khiyam at least four times on Friday. Lebanese security sources told Reuters Israeli troops had also advanced in a string of villages to the west. They said Israel was most likely trying to isolate Khiyam before attacking the town.

Four Italian soldiers were lightly injured after two rockets exploded at a UNIFIL peacekeeping force base in southern Lebanon, a spokesperson for UNIFIL said on Friday.

Italian sources said an investigation was under way. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Italian media that Hezbollah might be responsible for the attack.

Israeli strikes on two other villages in southern Lebanon killed five medics from a rescue force affiliated with Hezbollah, the Lebanese health ministry said.

The more than 3,500 people killed by Israeli strikes over the last year include more than 200 medics, the health ministry said.

EVACUATION WARNINGS AND STRIKES

Israel says its aim is to secure the return home of tens of thousands of people evacuated from Israel's north because of rocket attacks by Hezbollah, which began firing across the border in support of Hamas at the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

Israel also mounted more strikes on Beirut's southern suburbs, a once densely populated stronghold of Hezbollah.

Abeer Darwich, a resident of a building that was hit in Beirut southern suburbs on Friday, had to leave her apartment immediately after an evacuation warning from Israel's military.

She stood watching while an Israeli strike pounded the high rise building into dust.

"Do you know that most of the apartments' owners took credit to buy those houses? Life savings are gone, memories and safety ... which Israel decided to steal from us," Darwich said .

Evacuation orders were issued on X for several buildings in the area on Friday. Reuters footage showed one of the strikes appearing to pierce the center of a multi-storey building, which toppled in a cloud of smoke.