 "mohammed deif")
The most notable attribute in the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel has been violence. But if not that, there is another feature that has kept sneaking from the photos and headlines of the war, voices. Voices of parents, voices of injured, voices of attackers and voices of politicians. But perhaps it was one voice that sent shivers down the spine of those listening.
Within hours of the Hamas attack on Israel on Saturday, a calm, seemingly ominous voice could be heard in a video circulated on social media.
"In light of the continuing crimes against our people, in light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and Western support, we've decided to put an end to all this," the speaker said. "So that the enemy understands that he can no longer reveal without being held to account".
The listeners were left shocked not only because the message was that of horror. It was mainly because the voice was that of a person nobody had heard of for long, Mohammed Deif, the commander of the military wing of Hamas. Deif, it would soon be revealed, was the mastermind behind Hamas' own version of blitzkrieg on Israel.
Who is Mohammed Deif?
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Born Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri in Khan Younis, Gaza, in the 1950s, Dief grew up in a Palestinian refugee family. He studied at Gaza's Islamic University and graduated in science in 1988. During his college, Deif was an active member of the Muslim Brotherhood, which was led by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder of the Islamic University. Deif means "guest" in Arabic.
In 1987, Deif joined Hamas and participated in the first Intifada. He was briefly arrested by Israelis but was freed after 16 months in prison. During the 1990s, Deif, under Yahya Ayyash, orchestrated attacks. He quickly rose to the ranks.
In 2002, during the second Intifada, he was appointed the head of Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Soon, Hamas started conducting suicide bombings inside Israel.
Israel said Deif was among their most wanted and was directly responsible for the deaths of many of its citizens. The USA soon designated him as a terrorist.
Escaped several assassination attempts
The Israeli military has officially acknowledged that they have tried to kill Deif at least twice. In 2002, in an attack, Deif is said to have lost his eye in an Israeli strike. In 2006, the Israeli military attacked a building where leaders of Hamas had assembled. The missile hit the wrong floor.
In August 2014, Israel carried out an airstrike targeting him. According to a report by The Hindu, Deif's wife and two children were killed, but he escaped. Mossad believes Deif is in a wheelchair. However, no proof of this can be found due to his absence from the public eye.
In Palestine, he is known as "the cat with nine lives".
In 2014, in a battle with Hamas, Deif is said to have issued an audio message. "The Zionist entity will not know security unless the Palestinian people live in peace," he said. These words have become the core ideology of Hamas since then.
