Israel launches airstrike against architect of October 7 attacks

He is revered in some Palestinian circles for leading the development of Hamas’s military capabilities and is seen as a symbol of the group’s resilience in finding ways to survive despite being the primary target of one of the most powerful armies in the Middle East.

When Hamas launched its attacks on Israeli cities and military facilities on October 7, Mr. Deif released a recorded speech in which he said the group had launched its operation so that “the enemy would understand that the time for its merciless rampage is over.”

“Righteous fighters, today is the day to bury this criminal enemy,” he said in his speech, which was broadcast on Hamas’ Al-Aqsa TV. “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.”

Hamas is supported by Iran and Mr Deif supports this relationship.

He has not been seen in public for years and few photos of him are publicly available. In January, the Israeli army released a picture of a man alleged to be Mr Deif, showing him resting under a tree with a wad of cash in his hand.

He is believed to be disabled, possibly missing an eye and limbs. Israel bombed his house in 2014, killing his wife and young son.

In May, Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, requested an arrest warrant for Mr Deif, accusing him and two other Hamas leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Mr Deif was born into a poor Palestinian family in 1965 and grew up in the Khan Younis refugee camp near Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, and Mohammed Dahlan, an exiled leader of Fatah, another Palestinian faction that rivals Hamas.

“He is a legendary figure in Hamas,” Ibrahim Madhoun, an analyst close to Hamas, said in an interview, comparing him to Ahmed Yassin, the spiritual leader and founder of Hamas. “His signature can be found in the transformation of the Qassam Brigades from a limited number of armed cells into a formal army with tens of thousands of fighters.”

Mr Deif commanded the so-called Shadow Brigade, which guards Israeli prisoners held by Hamas, and has invested considerable sums in manufacturing weapons and providing new technology to the Qassam Brigades, such as reconnaissance drones, according to Mr Madhoun.

Israeli analysts also acknowledge that Mr. Deif has transformed Hamas’s military wing into a more organized force.

Michael Milshtein, a former Israeli intelligence officer specializing in Palestinian affairs, described Mr. Deif as one of Hamas’s most important military strategists.

“He is the beating heart of Hamas’ military wing,” he said, noting that Mr Deif is at the head of a force that has elite fighters, naval commandos and air force capabilities. “He has built a force that has almost the capabilities of a state.”