Muhammad Deif, the Chief of Staff of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, has been reported martyred.
Abu Obeida, the spokesperson for the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, announced on Thursday the martyrdom of the Chief of Staff of the Brigades, Mohammed al-Deif, in a televised address mourning his martyrdom.
In a televised address, Abu Obeida said: “We mourn the martyrdom of our leader, Mohammed al-Deif, to our great people.”
He also confirmed the martyrdom of a group of senior commanders who served as key figures in Hamas’ military leadership.
Among them were Marwan Issa, the Deputy Chief of Staff; Ghazi Abu Tama’a, Commander of the Weapons and Combat Services Section; Raed Thabet, Commander of the Human Resources Section; Rafe’ Salama, Commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade; and Ahmed Al-Ghandour, the Commander of the Northern Brigade.
Additionally, Ayman Noufal, Commander of the Central Governorate Brigade, was also reported as martyred earlier during the conflict.
Despite the tremendous loss of leadership, Abu Obeida reassured the Palestinian people and resistance fighters that the sacrifices of these commanders would not break the resolve of the Qassam Brigades.
ABU OBEIDA: The military spokesman for the Martyr Izz El-Din Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, announces the martyrdom of the commander of the Qassam Brigades, Mohammed al-Deif, "Abu Khaled," along with other leaders in the field throughout the course of Al-Aqsa Flood. pic.twitter.com/MMnRmGyI8w
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) January 30, 2025
In his statement, he emphasized, “The martyrdom of our great leaders, despite our immense loss, did not and will not weaken the resolve of our battalions and resistance.”
He further asserted that the death of these leaders had only made the resistance more determined, and the intensity of their battles against Israeli forces had only increased.
“After each of them was martyred, the resolve of our Mujahideen grew stronger,” Abu Obeida said, “and the battles became fiercer, as our fighters inflicted more damage on the enemy.”
He concluded by declaring that “a leader is succeeded by many leaders, and a martyr leaves behind a thousand martyrs.”
Abu Obeida also highlighted that, despite the leadership changes, the Qassam Brigades had never experienced a leadership vacuum, not even for a moment, throughout the Battle of the Al-Aqsa Flood.
He stressed that the resistance’s organizational strength and commitment to their cause were undiminished by these losses.
The announcement of Deif’s martyrdom and that of the other commanders came only after meticulous verification and following security procedures, according to Abu Obeida.
He explained that the Qassam Brigades waited until all necessary steps were completed before making this announcement public.
In October 2023, The Palestine Chronicle published a detailed profile of Mohammed Deif by Robert Inlakesh.
The article explores his background, strategic role in Palestinian resistance, and how he became one of Israel’s most-wanted resistance figures.
Who Was Mohammed al-Deif? – Profile
Although there are few existing photos of Mohammed al-Deif, his shadowy image has earned him a place as a living symbol of the Palestinian armed struggle against the Israeli occupation.
As the Commander-In-Chief of the Hamas armed wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam brigades, he rarely makes public statements and is believed to have masterminded the attack against Israel that took place on October 7.
Only three photos report to show Mohammed al-Deif, otherwise known as Abu Khaled (father of Khaled): one of them showing his face, another showing him masked and the third reported to be revealing his shadow; a widely used image that has been displayed over audio recordings which are released by Hamas.
To Israel, Deif is viewed in a similar light to how Iranian Quds Force Commander, Qassem Soleimani, a man to be feared for his shrewd military mind.
Born in 1965, inside Khan Younis refugee camp located in Southern Gaza, Deif is the son of refugee parents who were violently forced from their home village of Al-Qubayba in 1948.
Who is Mohammed Al-Deif, Al-Qassam Brigades’ Commander-in-Chief? – PROFILE
Zionist militia forces, belonging to the Givati brigades, destroyed the majority of the homes in their village, sparing only a few homes that were taken over by Israeli settlers. The settlements of Ge’alya and Kfar Gevirol were constructed on the remains of the ethnically cleansed village, now falling in the Rehovot area that is often targeted by rocket fire from Gaza.
Deif is said to have been arrested once by Israeli forces, in 1989, and was held for 16 months, although there are few details on his detention beyond a testimony shared by Hamas politburo member, Hamad Ghazi, who shared a cell with Abu Khaled.
As for his educational background, we know that Deif had studied at the Islamic University of Gaza, receiving a degree in science.
He also excelled in the arts, headed the entertainment committee at the University, and was reported to have even performed on-stage comedy, which is something that Hamad Ghazi claimed was part of his “kind” personality while held hostage as a political prisoner by Israel.
After that, he joined the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), which some media outlets claim happened within the first few years of the group’s formation.
Deif was said to have quickly risen in the ranks of the movement and studied under the well-known Palestinian explosive designer, Yahya Ayyash, who is often labeled ‘The Engineer’ for having figured out how to domestically manufacture explosives inside Palestine.
In 2002, after Israeli airstrikes assassinated the founder of the Qassam Brigades, Salah Shehadeh, who Deif then replaced.
Israel accuses Mohammed al-Deif of being responsible for countless attacks on Israeli soldiers and the mastermind behind a number of military operations, for which the occupation army has tried to assassinate him 5 separate times.
Mohammed Deif, the Chief of Staff of Al-Qassam Brigades, explains why he launched the Al-Aqsa Flood operation on October 7. pic.twitter.com/5eKsm0Y9tG
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) January 17, 2025
While he escaped death in all of these cases, Israeli airstrikes targeted and killed his wife, 7-month-old son and 3-year-old daughter in the war launched by Israel on Gaza in 2014.
During the first days of the current war on Gaza, which began on October 7, Deif’s brother, along with other members of his family, were killed after an Israeli airstrike targeted their home.
When Deif released an audio message, while Palestinian fighters were in the process of dismantling the Israeli military’s presence surrounding Gaza and entering settlements, it became apparent that the attack was of the utmost severity.
Even during the 11-day war of 2021, Mohammed al-Deif had not sent out a publicly broadcasted message. In fact, the last time we heard his voice was back in 2014. Deif is the first person to officially name the Hamas military operation ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ and is amongst the most wanted Israeli targets.
(The Palestine Chronicle)
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