Israeli army claims growing evidence of al-Qassam commander’s assassination

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) – The Israeli army claimed on Friday that there is increasing evidence that Mohammed Deif, the commander-in-chief of Hamas's Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed in an attack on displaced people's tents in the southern Gaza Strip.

Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari alleged that "there is growing evidence of the successful assassination of Mohammed Deif" in an airstrike on the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, which occurred a few days ago.

Hagari also claimed that Deif was accompanied by his deputy, Rafi Salama, the commander of the Khan Younis Brigade, who was reportedly killed in the same attack.

Hamas has not commented on Hagari’s statements.

On July 13, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that an airstrike on the Al-Mawasi area targeted Deif and his deputy.

The airstrike on displaced Palestinians’ tents in Al-Mawasi, west of Khan Younis, resulted in the deaths of 90 Palestinians and injuries to 300 others, according to official Palestinian sources.

Hamas accused Israeli media of using these allegations to "cover up the scale of the horrific massacre committed by the occupation."

Israel, flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza since an Oct. 7 attack by Hamas.

More than 38,800 Palestinians have since been killed, mostly women and children, and nearly 89,400 injured, according to local health authorities.

Over nine months into the Israeli onslaught, vast tracts of Gaza lie in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, whose latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its military operation in the southern city of Rafah, where more than 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi