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Mohammed Deif: Al-Qassam Brigades Leader, Phantom who Survived Multiple Close Calls

A presumed image of Mohammed Deif released by Israel last year
A presumed image of Mohammed Deif released by Israel last year
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Mohammed Deif: Al-Qassam Brigades Leader, Phantom who Survived Multiple Close Calls

A presumed image of Mohammed Deif released by Israel last year
A presumed image of Mohammed Deif released by Israel last year

Before the current war in Gaza, Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas’ military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was known only to his family and a few within Hamas.

His true appearance remained a mystery until Israel released his image late last year, marking it as the fourth depiction. Previous images ranged from a young man to a masked figure and a silhouette.

The latest shows him calmly alongside someone with gray hair, a light beard, and one eye.

Deif maintained a high level of secrecy in all his movements. Even when his mother passed away in January 2011, it was unclear if he attended her funeral.

There were rumors he did, unrecognized, while others claimed he never attended due to security concerns. Some even suggested he disguised himself as an elderly man to bid his mother farewell before disappearing.

Deif appears not to use modern technology and is not fond of making public appearances. Rarely does he release voice messages, such as when he announced the start of new battles with Israel, including the Oct.7 Al-Aqsa Flood attacks.

Even during the current war, Israel’s pursuit of Deif in every corner of Gaza has proven elusive until now, with the targeting in Khan Younis marking the first revealed attempt after over nine months of conflict.

In fact, Israel has sought Deif since the mid-1990s. Shimon Peres, then Prime Minister in 1996, requested Palestinian President Yasser Arafat to arrest him, only for Arafat to express surprise at the name, seemingly unaware of him.

Peres later admitted discovering Arafat protected, hid, and lied about him.

Profile Overview

Real Name: Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, known as Deif. Born in 1965 to a Palestinian refugee family from Al-Qubeiba, settled in Khan Younis refugee camp, southern Gaza.

Deif grew up in poverty, briefly leaving school to help support his family by working with his father in textiles and later starting a small poultry farm. He also worked as a driver before becoming a target of Israeli pursuit.

Known for his friendly demeanor and interest in theater, Deif joined Hamas in late 1987 through mosque connections. He completed his studies at the Islamic University of Gaza in 1988, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Science.

Arrested by Israel in 1989 without trial, he spent 16 months in prison accused of involvement in Hamas’ military wing. Upon release, he co-founded the Al-Qassam Brigades and played a significant role in operations against Israel throughout the 1990s.

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Lacking Aid, Syrians Do What They Can to Rebuild Devastated Aleppo 

A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)
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Lacking Aid, Syrians Do What They Can to Rebuild Devastated Aleppo 

A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)
A drone view shows houses without roofs in Aleppo, Syria, April 19, 2025. (Reuters)

Moussa Hajj Khalil is among many Syrians rebuilding their homes from the rubble of the historic and economically important city of Aleppo, as Syria's new leaders struggle to kick-start large-scale reconstruction efforts.

Aleppo, Syria's second largest city and a UNESCO World Heritage site, was deeply scarred by more than a decade of war between government and opposition forces, suffering battles, a siege, Russian air strikes and barrel bomb attacks.

Now, its people are trying to restore their lives with their own means, unwilling to wait and see if the efforts of Syria's new government to secure international funding come to fruition.

"Nobody is helping us, no states, no organizations," said Khalil, 65, who spent seven years in a displacement camp in al-Haramain on the Syrian-Turkish border.

Impoverished residents have "come and tried to restore a room to stay in with their children, which is better than life in camps," he said, as he observed workers repairing his destroyed home in Ratyan, a suburb in northwestern Aleppo.

Khalil returned alone a month ago to rebuild the house so he can bring his family back from the camp.

Aleppo was the first major city seized by the opposition when they launched an offensive to topple then-leader Bashar al-Assad in late November.

Assad was ousted less than two weeks later, ending a 14-year war that killed hundreds of thousands, displaced millions and left much of Syria in ruins.

'DOING WHAT WE CAN'

While Syria lobbies for sanctions relief, the grassroots reconstruction drive is gaining momentum and providing work opportunities.

Contractors labor around the clock to meet the growing demand, salvaging materials like broken blocks and cement found between the rubble to repair homes.

"There is building activity now. We are working lots, thank God!" Syrian contractor Maher Rajoub said.

But the scale of the task is huge.

The United Nations Development Program is hoping to deliver $1.3 billion over three years to support Syria, including by rebuilding infrastructure, its assistant secretary-general told Reuters earlier this month.

Other financial institutions and Gulf countries have made pledges to help Syria, but are hampered by US sanctions.

The United States and other Western countries have set conditions for lifting sanctions, insisting that Syria's new rulers demonstrate a commitment to peaceful and inclusive rule.

A temporary suspension of some US sanctions to encourage aid has had limited effect, leaving Aleppo's residents largely fending for themselves.

"We lived in the camps under the sun and the heat," said Mustafa Marouch, a 50-year-old vegetable shop owner. "We returned and are doing what we can to fix our situation."