Israel’s army today confirmed that the head of the Hamas military, Mohammed Deif, was killed in its air strike in southern Gaza last month. The Israel Defence Forces, following an intelligence assessment, said in a statement that on the 13th of last month, Deif was targeted in a strike in the Khan Younis area. 

Deif was one of the founders of Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, and was leading the force for more than 20 years. He is believed to have been one of the masterminds of Hamas’ 7th October attack on southern Israel, which triggered the Gaza war, now in its 300th day. 

The confirmation comes a day after the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. 

Khan Younis is a Palestinian city serving as the capital of the Khan Yunis Governorate in the southern Gaza Strip.