Who is Mohammed Deif? The Hamas mastermind

Mohammed Deif is one of the most elusive and mysterious figures in the Middle East. He is the leader of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip. He is also one of Israel’s most wanted enemies, who has survived several assassination attempts and has been in hiding for decades.

Deif was born in 1965 in Khan Younis, a town in southern Gaza.

He was born as Mohammad Masri and later came to be known as Mohammed Deif after he joined Hamas during the first Palestinian uprising or Intifada, which started in 1987.

Israel arrested Deif in1989 after which he spent about 16 months in detention, said a Hamas source, reported Reuters.

Deif completed a degree in science from the Islamic University in Gaza, where he studied biology, chemistry and physics. 

He was also interested in arts and headed the entertainment committee of the university and performed comedy plays on the stage. 

He joined Hamas in the late 1980s, during the first Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation. He quickly rose through the ranks of the Qassam Brigades, becoming a mastermind of bomb-making and guerrilla warfare. He was involved in some of the deadliest attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings and rocket fire.

In an Israeli air strike carried out in 2014, his wife, seven-month-old son, and three-year-old daughter were killed.

Deif became the commander of the Qassam Brigades in 2002, after his predecessor, Salah Shehadeh, was killed by an Israeli airstrike. Since then, he has been directing Hamas’s military operations from an undisclosed location, avoiding public appearances and media interviews. He is believed to have a small circle of trusted aides and bodyguards, and to communicate with his subordinates through encrypted messages and intermediaries.

Deif is considered a hardliner within Hamas, who rejects any compromise or negotiation with Israel. He advocates for the liberation of all of historic Palestine, from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea, and the establishment of an Islamic state. He is also seen as a rival of Hamas’s political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, who is more pragmatic and open to dialogue with other Palestinian factions and regional actors.

Deif has played a key role in the recent escalation of violence between Israel and Hamas, which erupted on May 10, 2021, after weeks of tensions over Jerusalem. He oversaw the launch of thousands of rockets from Gaza into Israel, targeting major cities and civilian areas. He also claimed responsibility for a sophisticated operation that attempted to infiltrate Israeli territory through a network of underground tunnels. He vowed to continue the fight until Israel lifts its blockade on Gaza and stops its aggression against the Palestinians.

Deif’s whereabouts and health status are unknown. He is rumored to have been injured several times by Israeli attacks, losing an eye, an arm and both legs. However, he has always managed to survive and recover, earning him the nickname “the ghost”. He is also revered by many Palestinians as a symbol of resistance and defiance. Israel considers him a terrorist and a threat to its security, and has vowed to eliminate him. The fate of Mohammed Deif remains one of the most intriguing and unresolved questions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.