The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and Israel Security Agency (ISA) confirmed Sunday that an airstrike Saturday had killed the commander of Hamas’s battalion in Khan Yunis, Gaza, but the fate of Muhammad Deif remained unclear.
As Breitbart News reported Saturday:
Israel’s Army Radio reported Saturday that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) had likely succeeded in killing Hamas’s military leader, Muhammad Deif, along with other senior terrorist leaders in an airstrike in the city of Khan Yunis in Gaza.
…
[Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu told journalists and the Israeli nation that Deif and his deputy, Rafah Salameh, had been targeted in the operation. He said that Israel had not yet confirmed their deaths, but that Israeli intelligence had confirmed prior to the airstrike that there were no hostages surrounding the Hamas commanders.
On Sunday, the IDF and ISA confirmed that Salameh, who led Hamas’s local forces in Khan Yhunis, had been killed:
Yesterday (Saturday), following ISA and IDF intelligence, the IAF struck and eliminated the Commander of Hamas’ Khan Yunis Brigade, Rafa’a Salameh, in the area of Khan Yunis.
Salameh was one of the closest associates of Mohammed Deif, the Commander of Hamas’ Military Wing, and was one of the masterminds of the October 7th Massacre.
Salameh joined the Hamas terrorist organization in the early 1990s and was appointed to the position of Commander of Hamas’ Khan Yunis – Al Qarara Battalion, under the command of Mohammed Sinwar. Salamah played a significant role in the abduction of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit. During Operation Protective Edge in 2014, Salameh was in command of Hamas’ combat support and defensive plans.
In 2016, he replaced Mohammed Sinwar as Commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade. In this position, Salameh was in command of the terrorist operatives in the Khan Yunis Brigade and was responsible for all launches of projectiles that were fired from the Khan Yunis area toward Israeli territory. Salamah was also in command of two offensive terror tunnels that were neutralized in Khan Yunis in Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021. During this operation, 18 terrorists who attempted to infiltrate into Israeli territory were eliminated.
The elimination of Rafa’a Salameh significantly impedes Hamas’ military capabilities.
It is unclear when Israel will know Deif’s fate. He has survived seven prior assassination attempts, with injuries.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of “”The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days,” available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of “The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency,” now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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