4 days have passed since the IDF attempted to assassinate Muhammad Deif and Raf Salameh, commander of the Hamas military wing and commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade in that wing, in a massive air strike in the area of the Khan Yunis refugee camp. The compound in which the two were staying was destroyed, and it is difficult to extract bodies and find artifacts among the ruins – and therefore the IDF is patiently waiting to announce the results of the attack, and to declare that after 7 failed assassination attempts over 20 years, Israel succeeded in eliminating one of its most bitter rivals.
The IDF’s optimism about the outcome of the attack has increased since Saturday, and even led to an official announcement of Salameh’s death. The IDF carried out the attack due to intelligence indications that the two were staying together, and now the only fear is that Deif was lucky enough to leave the compound shortly before the attack. On the last day, reports were published that the attack killed several of Deif’s bodyguards along with the collaborators who accompany him daily, including one of Yahya and Muhammad Sinwar’s brothers (the main targets of the IDF currently in the Gaza Strip). This increases the chances of a Deif dying during the attack.
One thing is certain – if the IDF does not know, senior Hamas figures outside of the Gaza Strip definitely do not know anything – and therefore their words about the miraculous survival of a Deif can be easily ignored. It should be remembered that there is a bit of cognitive dissonance combined here – Hamas members admire Deif and see him as a walking legend, and his death will cause a severe psychological crisis. We must wait patiently, when in a few days, or weeks, we all know the truth.
