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Mohammed Deif

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Mohammed Deif
محمّد الضيف‎
File:Mohammed.Deif.jpg
Picture of a shadow, used in an audio adress by Deif
Born
Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri

1965 (age 58–59)
Khan Yunis, Gaza Strip (under Egyptian rule)
NationalityPalestinian
Other namesAbu Khaled
The cat with nine lives (Israeli nickname)
EducationBachelor of Science
Alma materIslamic University of Gaza
Years active1980s-present
Known forSupreme commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades
Spouse
Widad Asfoura
​
​
(m. 2007; died 2014)​
Children2 (deceased)
Military career
Allegiance Hamas (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades)
RankSupreme commander
Battles/wars

Mohammed Deif (Arabic: محمّد الضيف), born Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (Arabic: محمّد دياب إبراهيم المصري) and also known by his kunya Abu Khaled (Arabic: أبو خالد), is a Palestinian militant who is currently the Supreme Military Commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamist organization Hamas.

Deif is considered to be on top of Israel's 'most wanted' list for killing IDF soldiers and planning suicide bombings and kidnappings, and was added to the American list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists in 2015. He has survived seven Israeli assassination attempts, the most recent of which came during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis.

Early life

Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri was born in 1965 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip[1][2]. Although not much is known about the details of his early life and upbringing,[3] it is understood that he studied chemistry at the Islamic University of Gaza,[4][5] from which he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1988.[6]

During his years at the university, he had a passion for theatre, establishing a theatre group called "The Returners", in reference to Palestinian refugees longing to return to the lands they lived on before to the Nakba.[4][6] He played a number of roles, including those of historical figures.[7]

Early militant career

Deif joined Hamas weeks after its establishment during the First Intifada,[5] and was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1989 or 1990 for his involvement with the organization.[3][8] After 16 months of detention, he was released in a prisoner exchange, only to help establish the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, soon after.[5][6]

Deif was close to Emad Akel and Yahya Ayyash, who were assassinated by Israel in 1993 and 1996 respectively.[8][3] After the latter's assassination, he started to lower his profile, going off the radar to avoid being targeted.[4] During the early 1990s and early 2000s, he was behind a number of suicide bombing attacks.[9][10] He also oversaw the kidnappings and later killings of Israeli soldiers Shahar Simani, Aryeh Frankenthal and Nachshon Wachsman in the 1990s.[11]

In May 2000, Deif was arrested by the Palestinian National Authority,[12][13] but escaped in December with assistance from some of his guards.[14]

Leader of the al-Qassam Brigades

Deif became the supreme military commander of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades after Israel assassinated Salah Shehade in July 2002.[15] Between July 2006 and November 2012, effective command was exercised by Deif's deputy, Ahmed Jabari, after Deif was seriously wounded in an Israeli assassination attempt.[16]

In September 2015, the US Department of State added Deif and three other Hamas leaders to the American list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.[17][18]

Strategy

Deif has been credited with transforming the al-Qassam Brigades from a cluster of amateur cells to organized military units, described as an 'army,' that are capable of invading Israel.[5] His military strategy has been dubbed the 'above and below' strategy, built on attacking Israeli territory with rockets and constructing underground tunnels to be used in infiltrating the border with Israel.[9]

After the attack on Israel that started the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, a Reuters report stated that over the previous two years, Deif deceived Israel into believing Hamas was not interested in another round of conflict.[2][19] This deception campaign involved a decision not to participate in the clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in August 2022 and May 2023.[20]

Assassination attempts

Deif has been on top of Israel's 'most wanted list' since the mid 1990s.[21] As of October 2023, he has survived seven Israeli assassination attempts.[3] The first attempt on his life was by an airstrike in 2001, before he assumed the leadership of the al-Qassam Brigades.[7][22][23] Israel tried again to kill Deif in September 2002 by a strike on his car,[24][25] and in 2003 and July 2006 by striking a house that hosted a meeting of the Hamas leadership.[7][22][26] It is also said that the July 2006 attempt was an airstrike on the house of one of Deif's lecturers in university when Deif was visiting him.[5]

In August 2014, during the 2014 Gaza War, the Israeli air force attempted to assassinate him with an airstrike on a house in Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City.[27] Hamas denied that Deif was killed,[28][29] which was confirmed by Israeli intelligence in 2015.[30]

In May 2021, during 2021 Israel-Palestine crisis, the Israel military tried to kill Deif twice in one week, but both attempts proved unsuccessful.[31]

The seven assassination attempts have lost Deif an eye and limbs,[3] leaving him wheelchair-bound.[32] After the 2006 assassination attempt, Deif spent three months in Egypt for treatment of his his skull after shrapnel lodged in it. He continues to take tranquillizers daily to treat headaches.[5][33] His survival has earned him the nickname 'the cat with nine lives' among his Israeli adversaries.[4][34]

Public image

Deif, the nom de guerre that Mohammed al-Masri takes, means 'guest' in Arabic. This is said to refer to the fact that he stays in a different house each night as a precaution against Israeli attacks.[35] Another explanation says that the name comes from a theatre role he played in his earlier years.[4]

Deif never appears in public,[2] and the only known photo of his was taken around the year 2000.[9] In spite of this, he has become a 'folk hero' amongst Palestinians for his survival of many assassination attempts.[36] His position as a military leader rather than a political one has shielded him from criticism of the Hamas administration of the Gaza Strip.[37]

Personal life

Deif married in 2007.[38] His wife, Widad Asfura, his infant son and 3 year-old daughter were killed in the 2014 assassination attempt.[2][39] The New York Times described Asfura as "one of Mr. Deif’s wives," suggesting he has more wives.[22]

Deif's mother died in 2011,[7] and his father in 2022.[40]

References

  1. ^ Messing, Dafna (11 May 2021). "Who are you, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, aka Muhammed Deif?". Alma Research and Education Center. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Nakhoul, Samia; Bassam, Laila (11 October 2023). "Who is Mohammed Deif, the Hamas commander behind the attack on Israel?". Reuters. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Mohammed Deif: The one-eyed Hamas chief in Israel's crosshairs". BBC News. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e Raghavan, Sudarsan (2 August 2014). "Mohammed Deif, the shadowy figure who heads Hamas's military wing". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Hamas' deadly 'phantom': the man behind the attacks". Australian Financial Review. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  6. ^ a b c Ziboun, Kifah (28 August 2014). "From the Spotlight to the Shadows". Asharq Al-Awsat. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d "Mohammed Deif, the Voice of War". english.aawsat.com. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Has Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, escaped death again?". Reuters. 20 August 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  9. ^ a b c "Mohammed Deif, the elusive architect of Hamas's attack on Israel". France 24. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  10. ^ Burke, Jason (7 November 2023). "A deadly cascade: how secret Hamas attack orders were passed down at last minute". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  11. ^ "Who Is Mohammed Deif?". Haaretz. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  12. ^ "Hamas Says Fugitive Seized in Raid". AP NEWS. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  13. ^ Hockstader, Lee (15 May 2000). "Terror Suspect Being Detained By Palestinians". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  14. ^ Hockstader, Lee (8 December 2000). "Key Militant Escapes From Palestinian Jail". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 5 March 2023.
  15. ^ Asser, Martin (26 September 2002). "Profile: Hamas commander Mohammed Deif". BBC News. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  16. ^ "Hamas's deadly "phantom": the man behind the attacks". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  17. ^ AP and ToI Staff. "Arch-terrorists Kuntar, Deif put on US blacklist". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  18. ^ "Terrorist Designations of Yahya Sinwar, Rawhi Mushtaha, and Muhammed Deif". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  19. ^ "How Mastermind Mohammed Deif Planned Hamas' Attack on Israel From the Shadows". TimesNow. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  20. ^ Nakhoul, Samia; Saul, Jonathan (10 October 2023). "How Hamas duped Israel as it planned devastating attack". Reuters. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  21. ^ "Who Is Mohammed Deif?". Haaretz. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  22. ^ a b c Kershner, Isabel; Akram, Fares (20 August 2014). "After Strike on Family, Fate of Hamas Commander Is Unknown". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  23. ^ "Who is Mohammed Deif whom Israel tried to assassinate several times". cnbctv18.com. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  24. ^ "Official: Hamas target survives Israeli attack". CNN. 27 September 2002. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  25. ^ Miller, Elhanan. "Is prime Israel target Muhammad Deif overseeing Hamas's strategy?". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  26. ^ "Israel's Most Wanted Man Seriously Injured in Bombing". WLTX. Gaza City. AP. 12 July 2006. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
  27. ^ "Israeli airstrikes target Hamas military chief in Gaza: report". Xinhua. 20 August 2014. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014.
  28. ^ "Hamas Confirms: Mohammed Deif is Still Alive". Arutz Sheva. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  29. ^ "Gaza killing resumes with peace talks in tatters". CBS News. 20 August 2014.
  30. ^ "Hamas military commander Deif said to be alive in Gaza Strip". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  31. ^ "Israel tried to kill Hamas chief Mohammed Deif twice in Gaza operation". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  32. ^ Archive, View Author; feed, Get author RSS (10 October 2023). "Who is Mohammed Deif: Palestinian militant behind Israel attack". Retrieved 7 November 2023. {{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  33. ^ Miller, Elhanan. "Is prime Israel target Muhammad Deif overseeing Hamas's strategy?". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  34. ^ Bureau, ABP News (13 October 2023). "Israel-Gaza War: Who Is Mohammed Deif? The 'Shadowy' Hamas Leader Behind Israel Attack". news.abplive.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  35. ^ Kiley, Sam (14 October 2023). "Who is El Deif, alleged mastermind of the Hamas attack?". CNN. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  36. ^ "Hamas' Mohammed Deif, Israel attack mastermind, reveals why he launched 9/11 like assault". The Economic Times. 11 October 2023. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  37. ^ "Mohammed Deif, the elusive architect of Hamas's attack on Israel". France 24. 10 October 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  38. ^ France-Presse, By SAKHER ABU EL OUN, Agence (20 August 2014). "Thousands mourn slain wife, baby of Hamas commander". GMA News Online. Retrieved 4 November 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  39. ^ Mathis-Lilley, Ben (20 August 2014). "Airstrike Kills Wife and Child of Hamas' Military Commander, Rocket Designer". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 4 November 2023.
  40. ^ Boxerman, Aaron. "Hamas announces death of military chief Mohammad Deif's father". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
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