From the Liveblog of
Saturday, July 13, 2024
IDF still probing results of Deif strike, believes intel was highly accurate
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF is still assessing the results of its airstrike in the southern Gaza Strip this morning, targeting Muhammad Deif, the commander of Hamas’s military wing, and another top commander.
According to the IDF’s latest assessments, Rafa’a Salameh, the commander of Hamas’s Khan Younis Brigade, was killed in the strike.
The targeted site in the al-Mawasi area belonged to Salameh, according to military sources. The site is located around 500 meters away from the furthest point the IDF advanced to in Khan Younis earlier this year.
Recently, Deif reached the compound, and indications of this made it to the army overnight.
Over the following hours, the IDF worked to verify the information, and once it was confirmed, the airstrike was carried out. The IDF also spent the time verifying that no hostages were held in the compound before the strike.
The IDF believes that its intelligence indicating Deif was at the site is highly accurate, although it still cannot fully confirm Deif was killed in the attack. The military also believes Hamas will attempt to hide Deif’s death for some time.
