Israel Awaited Deif’s Visit Before Striking Salameh’s Compound – Report

Israel monitored Rafa’a Salameh, the Khan Younis Brigade commander, for weeks before striking his location on Saturday. The goal was to target Muhammad Deif, Hamas’s military commander, who Israel believed would visit, according to a New York Times report citing Israeli officials.

Israel thinks Deif was present on Saturday, leading to the strike that killed Salameh. However, Deif’s fate remains uncertain. Hamas claims 90 people died in the strike, labeling it a “horrifying massacre” against civilians. Israeli security officials counter that many of those killed were Hamas operatives, as the strike occurred in a fenced-off area used by the group.

Israel had surveilled the Al-Mawasi compound, where Salameh’s family owned a villa, for months. Despite confirming Salameh’s presence weeks ago, the strike was delayed, hoping Deif would leave his hiding place in the tunnels and join Salameh.

Deif and Salameh had a close relationship, according to the IDF. Salameh was one of Deif’s “closest associates” in Hamas’s Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades. Intelligence suggesting Deif couldn’t stay underground for long due to health issues led the IDF to suspect he would visit Salameh at the humanitarian zone.

Salameh spent significant time at the compound recently, along with his family and other Hamas operatives, as IDF troops advanced on his other Khan Younis strongholds. Despite often being underground, he found the tunnels stifling, explaining his willingness to spend time above ground.

The compound, located in an olive grove, had low buildings and tarps, allegedly to prevent drone surveillance. However, Israel managed to gather intel regardless. Hamas officials mistakenly believed the location’s exposure would make it an unlikely target, and its proximity to displaced Palestinians’ tent camps would deter a strike.

Intelligence officers received the first indication of Deif’s arrival at the compound on Friday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the strike, which occurred at 10 a.m. the next day after the IDF confirmed Deif’s presence.

Military sources said several dozen Hamas operatives were in the area when it was targeted, including Deif and Salameh’s guards. Despite this, photos from Gaza showed bodies of children and elderly individuals. Israel maintained that the risk to civilians was reduced due to the targets being within the Hamas compound.

Hamas denies Deif was harmed, while Israeli defense officials believe there’s a high likelihood he was killed. The IDF thinks the intelligence indicating Deif’s presence was highly accurate, and if Deif was dead, Hamas would try to hide it for some time.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi admitted it’s “still too early to summarize the results of the attack,” which he accused Hamas of trying to conceal.

Deif, a key figure in the October 7 massacre in southern Israel, has been wanted by Israel since 1995 for his role in numerous terror attacks, including bus bombings in the 1990s and early 2000s. Saturday’s strike was Israel’s eighth attempt to eliminate Deif, who survived multiple attempts on his life between 2001 and 2021.