At least 90 people were killed and more than 300 wounded in last week's Israeli offensive – and now the Israeli military says Hamas leaders may also be among the dead.
On 13 July, several rockets were fired at Al-Mawasi camp, which is located in a humanitarian area outside Khan Younis.
The attack took place near a water station, and Palestinian health authorities reported that at least 90 people were killed and at least 300 others were injured.
The Israeli military claimed that the target of the attack was Hamas officer Mohammed al-Masri, popularly known as Mohammed Deif. He was one of the main men behind the October 7 attack on Israel.
Israeli military spokesman Daniel Hagari said on Friday that there were “increasing indications” that Masri was killed in the attack. Reuters and Al Jazeera write this.
Hamas had previously denied that al-Masri was killed in the attack. Hamas said al-Dhaif was “fine” and that the group's military operations were continuing, according to Al Jazeera.
Israeli military radio reported on Saturday, July 13, that Al-Masry was hiding in a building in the humanitarian area in Al-Mawasi, according to Reuters.
– Israel launched an attack on Gaza in an attempt to eliminate Mohammed Deif and his deputy, Rafi Salama. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a news conference Saturday evening that it was not certain that the two had been eliminated.
Who is Mohamed El Masry?
Known colloquially as “the guest” or “the guest,” Mohammed has been among Israel’s most wanted men for decades, having previously survived seven Israeli assassination attempts. Reuters reported that the most recent was in 2021.
Al-Masry is set to be the military commander of Hamas.
Shortly after the October 7 attack, Hamas shared a recording of a male voice announcing that “Operation Flood of al-Aqsa” was underway. The recording was filmed in silhouette with a man. This was supposed to be al-Masry.
The guest's location is unknown, but Reuters wrote in October 2023 that he may have been in tunnels under Gaza.
Reuters has previously mentioned Guest as the “secret mastermind” behind the October 7 attacks.
The guest was rarely seen in public.
– We know very little about Muhammad Deif. He is one of the most secretive figures in Hamas, researcher Erik Skary from the University of Oslo (UiO) told VG in mid-October 2023.
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