The announcement comes a day after an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital killed Hamas’ top political leader.Israel believes that Deif, the head of Hamas’ military, and Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza, were the chief architects of the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and triggered the Israel-Hamas war. Sinwar is believed to remain in hiding in Gaza.
Hamas has said Deif survived the July attack in Gaza and did not immediately comment on the military’s announcement of confirmation.
Israel has not confirmed or denied it was behind Tuesday’s strike in Tehran that killed Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ political chief. The killing of two of Hamas’ most senior figures brings a victory for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has said that he will not end the campaign in Gaza until Israel destroys Hamas’ military capabilities.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the strike that killed Deif was a “significant milestone” toward achieving the goals of the war. “The results of this operation reflect that Hamas is an organization in disintegration,” he wrote on X.
The assassinations risk pushing Hamas to harden its position in negotiations for a cease-fire – or to drop out completely. And Iran has vowed vengeance for the strike on its soil, raising fears of an all-out regional war.
