Hamas confirms his military chief's murder

Hamas, the Palestinian group declared terrorist organisation by the United States and the European Union, has confirmed the murder of Mohammed Deif, his military-wing leader.

The confirmation by the Palestinian radical group comes six months after Israel had announced it had killed Deif. Israel had said that Deif had been killed during air strikes south of Gaza in July 2024.

Deif had long been the leader of Hamas' military arm, and Israel has said he was one of the architects of the October 7th 2023 attack on Israel, promoting the 15-month war in Gaza.

For years, Israel had had had had it on the list of most wanted persons, while since 2015 it had been on the American list of <x0).

Deif had survived a series of Israeli assassinations, and he had not gone public for decades.

Deif had taken over Hamas' military arm in 2002.

Israel during the war in Gaza has killed other top nataries of the radical Palestinian group, including political-wing chief Ismail Haniyeh.

The confirmation by Hamas for Deif's murder comes at a time when the group is continuing to release the hostages under the ceasefire agreement reached earlier this month.

The agreement envisions the release of thousands of Palestinians imprisoned in Israel and the return of Palestinians to the north of Gaza.

The Gaza War began after on October 7, 2023, Hamas attacked Israel, killing about 1,200 people and kidnapping another 250. As a result of the Israeli offensive, more than 47,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and the Palestinian enclave has suffered major disasters. /REL