Hamas Confirms Israel Killed Mohammed Deif Last Year

This undated handout image released by the Hamas Media Office on January 30, 2025, shows a portrait of the Palestinian movement's military chief Mohammed Deif.(Photo by HAMAS MEDIA OFFICE / AFP)
This undated handout image released by the Hamas Media Office on January 30, 2025, shows a portrait of the Palestinian movement's military chief Mohammed Deif.(Photo by HAMAS MEDIA OFFICE / AFP)
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Hamas Confirms Israel Killed Mohammed Deif Last Year

This undated handout image released by the Hamas Media Office on January 30, 2025, shows a portrait of the Palestinian movement's military chief Mohammed Deif.(Photo by HAMAS MEDIA OFFICE / AFP)
This undated handout image released by the Hamas Media Office on January 30, 2025, shows a portrait of the Palestinian movement's military chief Mohammed Deif.(Photo by HAMAS MEDIA OFFICE / AFP)

Hamas confirmed on Thursday the death of Mohammed Deif, the head of its military wing, six months after Israel announced he was killed.

This is the first statement Hamas' armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, has released on Deif’s condition since the Israeli military said last August that he was killed in airstrike in southern Gaza the month before.

Thursday's announcement culminated months of speculation about Deif’s fate. Hamas had not explicitly confirmed or denied Israel’s claim.

Hamas’ longtime shadowy military leader was one of the alleged masterminds of the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.

For years, he topped Israel’s most-wanted list. He gained mythical status among Palestinians, surviving a string of Israeli assassination attempts and not showing his face in public for decades.



Yemen's Houthis Launched Missile at US Fighter Jet, Missed

Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)
Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)
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Yemen's Houthis Launched Missile at US Fighter Jet, Missed

Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)
Houthi militants stormed the Greek tanker "Sunion" and rigged its deck with explosives before blowing it up (EPA)

Yemen's Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles at an American fighter jet and MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either, two US officials told Reuters.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify if the attacks occurred over the Red Sea or Yemen itself.

One said the incidents could suggest the Houthis were improving their targeting capabilities.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who leads the Iran-backed group, said in a televised speech on Feb. 13 that the Houthis would intervene with missiles and drones and attack vessels in the Red Sea if the United States and Israel tried to remove Palestinians from Gaza by force.

An Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect in Gaza on January 19 but has appeared close to collapse recently amid mutual accusations of violations.

US President Donald Trump has infuriated the Arab world with a plan to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza and take over the enclave to turn it into a beach resort.

The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships off Yemen since November 2023 in support of Gaza's Palestinian militants fighting Israel, disrupting global shipping.