Why Israel delayed the attack on the Hamas commander

Israeli forces waited for weeks to attack Rafa Salameh, the commander of Hamas’ Khan Younis Brigade, at his family compound in the southern Gaza Strip, hoping that a senior Hamas leader, Mohammed Deif, Hamas’ top military commander, would arrive.

The patience of the Israelis seemed to pay off for them, who believe that Deif traveled to Salameh’s compound this weekend, according to the New York TimesIsraeli forces then launched air strikes on it, even though it was located within a designated humanitarian zone.

The Israeli military said the attack killed Lieutenant Rafa Salameh, but could not confirm that Deif was killed. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend that Israel did not yet have “absolute clarity” on whether Deif was killed.

“His hands are stained with the blood of many Israelis,” the prime minister added. “At the beginning of the election campaign, I made a rule: Hamas’s murderers are dead men, from the first to the last.”

Hamas officials said the attack left about 90 people dead, but did not provide any further details on how many civilian casualties there were and how many were among the fighters.

The Israeli forces discovered Salameh’s presence at the site several weeks ago, but decided to wait to attack, as they assumed that Deif, who they believe spends more time above ground and outside the tunnel network due to health problems, would eventually attack his subordinate, the New York Times reported.

Deif appeared at the complex on Friday and shortly thereafter Netanyahu signed the attack.

It is believed that he survived several previous Israeli assassination attempts, but it is also believed that he was disabled by these attempts.

Deif is considered one of the masterminds of the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7, in which around 1,200 people died and another 250 were taken hostage.

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“Righteous fighters, today is the day to bury this criminal enemy,” he said in a recorded speech broadcast on Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV on October 7, when the attack took place. “His time is over. Kill them wherever you find them,” he added. “Remove this filth from your land and your holy sites. Fight and the angels will fight with you.”

Deif has led Hamas’s armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, for more than two decades, and Israel believes he is directly or indirectly responsible for countless Israeli deaths.