Rhino: Agencies – The military spokesman for al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), confirmed on Thursday that Mohammed al-Deif, the chief of staff of al-Qassam Brigades, and his deputy, Marwan Issa, were killed in clashes.

The Israeli army announced in August that it had killed al-Deif in an airstrike in the Khan Younis area of the southern Gaza Strip and announced that it had killed Marwan Issa in March.

The spokesman, known as Abu Obeida, said in a video address broadcast via the Telegram app that other Qassam Brigades commanders were also killed: Ghazi Abu Tamaa, commander of the weapons and combat services corner, Raed Thabet, commander of the manpower corner, and Rafi Salameh, commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade. He did not say exactly when they were killed.

Al-Deif and Issa are believed to have been responsible for planning the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which led to the outbreak of the war in Gaza.

Al-Deif, who had a long and mysterious career in the Palestinian group, had a great ability to hide and evade Israel’s pursuit, which has placed him at the top of its most wanted list for decades.