TEHRAN – The Hamas resistance group has announced the martyrdom of Mohammed Deif, the Chief of Staff of its armed wing the al-Qassam Brigades. 

The military spokesman for the al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Ubaida, announced in a speech the martyrdom of Deif (also known as Abu Khaled), his deputy, Marwan Issa, and five other senior commanders. 

In a televised address, Abu Ubaida noted all the necessary procedures had been taken into account along with “security concerns dictated by battlefield conditions and verifying details” to announce the news. 

The date and location of Deif’s martyrdom were not revealed, however, Abu Ubaida confirmed that he died fighting the Israeli occupation forces amid the genocidal U.S.-backed war on the enclave. 

He stated, "After the martyrdom of the commanders, our fighters became even more determined and motivated to fight, and for every fallen leader, a thousand more rise.” 

"The Al-Qassam Brigades’ leadership structure was never left in a vacuum, not even for an hour.” 

Abu Ubaida further explained that the commanders were martyred while inside leadership operations rooms during direct engagements with enemy forces on the battlefield, or while inspecting the ranks of the fighters. 

"The commanders achieved victory by inspiring millions from our people and nation to carry the banner alongside them and after them,” he emphasized, adding, “They triumphed by passing the banner to steadfast and resilient leaders, their comrades, who do not know defeat.” 

Known as the “man with nine lives,” Mohammed Deif, the 60-year-old general commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, had survived multiple assassination attempts by the Israeli occupation regime for more than two decades. 

In July last year, the Israeli regime bombed a tent camp for displaced families in Khan Younis claiming to have targeted Deif. 

The attack killed at least 90 civilians and injured more 300 others, the majority of them women and children. 

Hamas categorically denied Deif was at the site, saying at the time “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.”

Deif had not made a public appearance since surviving a failed assassination attempt in September 2002, except through statements linked to military operations by the Palestinian resistance, the latest of which was the al-Aqsa Storm operation on the morning of Saturday, October 7, 2023. 

He was born in Gaza’s Khan Younis refugee camp, a densely populated area that has long been a focal point of Palestinian resistance and struggle. 

The camp, established in the aftermath of the 1948 Nakba, became home to thousands of displaced Palestinians, shaping the identities of many who would later rise to prominence in the region’s political and military movements. 

Among those who also hail from Khan Younis was Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (until his martyrdom in October last year), as well as other influential resistance figures in Palestinian history. 

Deif’s upbringing in this environment played a crucial role in his later involvement in resistance activities, as he witnessed firsthand the hardships and challenges faced by refugees in Gaza. 

His early years in Khan Younis were marked by political upheaval and economic hardship, setting the stage for his eventual leadership within the armed wing of Hamas and his reputation as one of the Israeli regime’s most elusive adversaries. 

Reacting to the news, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the al-Quds Brigade, said, “The martyrdom of this brave and sincere group of fighters, led by the two esteemed great commanders Mohammad Deif and Marwan Issa, reaffirms that the leadership of the resistance is at the forefront of confrontation and battle in the field.” 

In a statement, the al-Quds Brigade added, “These sacrifices will serve as a guiding light for all those who walk the path of liberation from our criminal Nazi Zionist enemy. With the blood of our leaders, our determination and resolve only grow stronger.”

On Friday, Hezbollah also issued a statement expressing condolences on Deif’s martyrdom.
 “Hezbollah offers its deepest condolences and congratulations on the martyrdom of al-Qassam Brigades Commander Mohammad Deif and a group of his senior comrades from the members of the Military Council,” Hezbollah’s Media Relations Office said. 

The statement added, “We declare our pride in these honorable leaders who remained on the battlefield until their last moments.”
Hezbollah also praised Deif as a senior leader who “spent his life fighting the Israeli occupation which tasted bitter defeat in the battle of ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’”.

It added, “Martyr Deif will remain an icon for the free people who will continue the path of resistance.”

Tributes have also been paid to Hamas and their fallen commander Mohammed Deif from regional resistance factions in Lebanon and Iraq as well as Ansarullah in Yemen.