ISTANBUL

The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian group Hamas, confirmed Thursday that its military commander, Mohammed Deif, has been killed.

The group’s spokesperson, Abu Ubaida, said in a televised statement that six other members of the Al-Qassam Brigades' military council were killed alongside Deif.

Among the dead are his deputy, Marwan Issa, and senior commanders Ghazi Abu Tamaa, Raed Thabit, Rafi Salama, Ahmed Al Ghandour and Ayman Noufal.

Abu Ubaida noted that the group had previously announced the deaths Al Ghandour, the commander of the North Gaza Brigade, and Noufal, commander of the Central Brigade, during Israel’s genocide in the Gaza Strip.​​​​​​​

He added that the announcement came only after completing necessary procedures, addressing security concerns dictated by battlefield conditions and verifying details.

Al-Qassam did not disclose details on the circumstances of their deaths but said they "fell in battle against Israeli forces during the Al-Aqsa Flood operation."

Israel has made multiple assassination attempts on Deif over the years, but he survived despite sustaining injuries.

The most recent attempt, on July 13, 2024, targeted displaced Palestinians in Khan Younis. Israeli warplanes bombed a tent encampment that had been declared a “safe zone,” killing 90 civilians, mostly women and children, and injuring over 300 others.

At the time, Hamas denied Israeli claims of Deif's death, stating: “This is not the first time Israel has falsely claimed to have killed Palestinian leaders. These lies serve only to mask the scale of the massacre committed.”

On Jan.19, a ceasefire agreement and prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel went into effect initially lasting 42 days, during which negotiations will continue for subsequent phases of the deal. The agreement is mediated by Egypt and Qatar, with support from the US.

Israel’s genocidal war has killed more than 47,400 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured more than 111,000 since Oct. 7, 2023.

The Israeli onslaught on Gaza has left more than 11,000 people missing, with widespread destruction and a humanitarian crisis that has claimed the lives of many elderly people and children in one of the worst global humanitarian disasters ever.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.