Abu Obaida, spokesman for the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, confirmed Deif's death in a Telegram message, along with that of Rafe Salama, commander of Hamas' Khan Younis Brigade. The Israeli military said both leaders were killed in a joint Israel Defense Forces-Shin Bet operation on July 13, which targeted a compound in al-Mawasi, an outskirt of Khan Younis.
Deif, one of Hamas' most elusive figures, was believed to have orchestrated the group's October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and led to a 15-month war in Gaza. The conflict, which saw tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, ended earlier this month under a fragile ceasefire.
The Israeli military had long pursued Deif, who was accused of masterminding multiple attacks over the years and had survived at least seven Israeli assassination attempts. He worked closely with Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' political leader in Gaza, who was also killed by Israel in October. Deif was among those indicted by the International Criminal Court last November, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, on war crimes charges related to the Gaza war. During the 2014 war, an Israeli airstrike targeting Deif killed his wife and two of his children.
Meanwhile, Israel conducted overnight airstrikes in eastern Lebanon, targeting Hezbollah positions in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanon's health ministry reported that two people were killed and 10 others wounded in the strikes on the village of Janta, close to the Syrian border. The Israeli military said the strikes targeted underground infrastructure linked to Hezbollah's weapons development and smuggling operations. A previous Israeli strike hit the same area on January 13.
Tensions remain high along the Israel-Lebanon border despite a ceasefire agreement. The Israeli military said it intercepted a Hezbollah surveillance drone near its airspace on Thursday, calling it a "breach of the ceasefire understandings." Israel also missed a January 26 deadline to withdraw from Lebanon, with the new deadline set for February 18. Under the ceasefire terms, Hezbollah is required to pull its forces north of the Litani River while the Lebanese army takes control of the south.
In Syria, the US military carried out an airstrike on Thursday, killing Muhammad Salah al-Zabir, a senior operative of Hurras al-Din, an Al-Qaeda affiliate. US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed the strike, stating that it took place in northwestern Syria. Zabir was reportedly traveling on the Sarmada-Idlib road when his vehicle was struck by a drone.
The US-based SITE Intelligence Group reported that Hurras al-Din had officially announced its dissolution earlier in the week. The move came amid shifting dynamics in Syria, where the group's former parent faction, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led an offensive that resulted in the fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December. HTS had broken ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016 but remains blacklisted as a terrorist organization by Washington. The United States has carried out multiple airstrikes against Hurras al-Din leadership, including operations in August and September last year.
The US has also lifted some sanctions on HTS since it played a role in toppling Assad, although it still designates the group as a terrorist organization.
The latest developments underscore ongoing instability across the region, even as ceasefires and shifting alliances attempt to bring a measure of order. With Hamas confirming Deif's death, Israeli airstrikes continuing in Lebanon, and US counterterrorism operations persisting in Syria, tensions remain high across the Middle East.
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