On July 13, the Israeli military launched a relentless attack on the designated humanitarian zone of Al-Mawasi, resulting in the killing of 90 Palestinians and injuring over 300, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Israel claimed, without evidence, that the attack targeted Mohammed Deif, the leader of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, and senior Hamas commander Rafa Salama. Hamas refuted the claim, accusing Israel of deliberately targeting civilians.
IOF Claims Targeting Top Hamas Leaders Deif and Salama
The Israel Occupying Forces' X account released a statement following the July 13 attack on Al-Mawasi, stating that they targeted two senior Hamas leaders.
The statement reads: "In a joint IDF and ISA activity based on precise intelligence, the IDF's Southern Command and the IAF carried out a strike in an area where two senior Hamas terrorists and additional terrorists hid among civilians. The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds. This is a photo of the compound where the senior terrorists and additional terrorists hid before and after the strike."
The Israeli Air Force has also published the same statement on X.
Hebrew media outlets such as Channel 12 and Ynet reported that the IOF targeted Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama.
According to Ynet, citing the New York Times, Israel had been monitoring Rafa Salama, the commander of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade, for several weeks. Israeli authorities monitored his regular visits to a villa and compound owned by his family, anticipating the possible arrival of Mohammed Deif, the leader of Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas.
Moreover, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated in a brief press conference that the Israeli military conducted a strike based on what it claimed was precise intelligence, targeting Mohammed Deif and senior Hamas commander Rafa Salama in Khan Yunis. Netanyahu added that it remained unclear whether Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif and another senior commander were killed in the Israeli strike in Gaza on Saturday.
"Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas," he told a televised news conference, adding that chances of an agreement to return Israeli hostages would be improved by increasing military pressure on Hamas.
Following the attack, the IOF claimed in a statement that they had eliminated Hamas commander Rafa Salama.
Who Is Mohammed Deif?
Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, was born in 1965 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. His family originates from the village of Kawkaba near Ashkelon.
Deif joined Hamas shortly after its establishment in 1987 during the First Intifada and was briefly detained by Israel in 1989. By 1991, he had played a key role in founding the organization's military wing and became a senior leader alongside figures like Yihye Ayash and Hassan Salameh. Israel believes that the Hamas military chief, Mohammed Deif, is the mastermind of the October 7 Operation.
Mohammed Deif has been one of Israel's most-wanted men for three decades. Israel has attempted to assassinate him at least seven times over the years, succeeding in injuring him twice. In 2002, an IOF Apache helicopter targeted his car in Gaza, resulting in injuries that cost him an eye and left his arm permanently disabled, according to reports. In 2006, an Israeli missile strike on a building where Hamas leaders were meeting left Deif seriously wounded, with Israeli officials believing him to be permanently disabled and confined to a wheelchair.
In a failed assassination attempt in 2014, his wife and son were killed, and additional family members have also been casualties in other attempts over the years.
Who Is Rafa Salama?
Salama served as a military commander for Al-Qassam Brigades in Khan Yunis. His uncle, Jawad Abu Shamala, was a member of Hamas' political bureau and reportedly had close ties to the group's Gaza leader, Yahya Sinwar.
Israel has accused Salama of orchestrating several operations against Israeli soldiers, including the 'Omar Tabash' operation in 2005, the 'Ahmed Abu Tahoun' operation in 2007, and the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in 2006, as per reports.
Hamas Refutes the IOF's Claim of Targeting Hamas Leaders
In a press release on its official website and Telegram channel, Hamas condemned the tragic massacre in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis. Hamas explicitly denied Israeli claims of targeting its leaders at the site, stating, "The occupation's claims about targeting leaders are false, this is not the first time the occupation has claimed to target Palestinian leaders, and later it is proven to be a lie. These false claims are merely a cover-up for the scale of the horrific massacre."
Khalil Al-Hayya, deputy head of the Hamas Political Bureau, stated in a press conference with Al Jazeera that Israel's claim of targeting Mohammed Deif and Rafa Salama is false. He mentioned that Deif is aware of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's statements and ridicules his baseless claims.
Al-Hayya emphasized, "We tell Netanyahu that Mohammed Al-Deif hears you and mocks your false statements. We affirm that the claims made by the occupation and Netanyahu are entirely untrue."
Furthermore, Sami Abu Zuhri, a senior spokesman for the Palestinian organization Hamas, told Reuters that this escalation comes in light of American support for Israel and the international silence on what is happening in Gaza.
The Hamas leader confirmed that all the martyrs targeted by the Israeli bombing in Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis were civilians, stating that this new massacre is a message from Israel that it is not interested in any ceasefire agreement.
Israeli Attack on Al-Mawasi Killed 90 People and Injured 300
Israeli air strikes on the Al-Mawasi camp in southern Gaza have killed at least 90 people, half of whom were women and children, and wounded 300 others, with dozens of them being women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. The attacks targeted tents housing displaced Palestinians and a water distillation unit. Reports indicate that the area was hit by "five bombs and five missiles."
The Israeli assault occurred in the Israeli-designated "safe zone," west of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza. Al-Mawasi, a densely populated area with around 80,000 residents, was a refuge for displaced Palestinians who had been ordered to evacuate their homes elsewhere in the Strip.
Displaced Witnesses Describe Massacre Scenes
Misbar interviewed eyewitnesses sheltering in the attacked area, who revealed that the attack involved both fighter jets and drones. Witnesses said that the strikes tore down their tents and left bodies and body parts strewn on the ground. They added that many of the injured were civilians, mainly women and children.
Another witness told Misbar that when rescue workers and civil defense teams arrived at the scene to rescue civilians, Israel continued bombing the site.
Al Jazeera released a video showing how Israel directly targeted civil defense members.
Yamen Abu Suleiman, the head of Khan Yunis civil defense, stated that the Israeli attack killed two members of the civil defense.
Israel Claims Targeting Hamas Leaders to Justify Killing Civilians
Israeli officials are criminally liable for knowingly ordering a strike expected to harm civilians. Israel aimed to spread the narrative that the Al-Mawasi strike targeted Hamas leaders to justify the killing and injuring of civilians. Israel is known for employing this policy to mitigate public outcry until the original massacre is overshadowed.
Misbar’s team has been working tirelessly to debunk misinformation related to the war. On multiple occasions, Misbar has exposed how Israel justifies the killing of civilians by spreading menacing leaflets, sharing propaganda, misusing names and images of civilians, dodging accountability, or even exploiting Israeli captives in Gaza.
Misbar’s team further investigated videos following the Al-Mawasi massacre and found evidence showing that Israel used heavy bombardments in the area, which Israel had designated as a "safe zone" and had ordered civilians to flee to.
The videos show scary scenes of the aftermath of the attack.
Another video uploaded by Al Jazeera channel shows the aftermath of the severe bombardment, revealing a deep hole where people were seen digging in the sand to find the bodies of the deceased.
Al Jazeera reported, citing an Israeli website, that Israel used American bombs in the deadly attack on Al-Mawasi Khan Yunis. These bombs, which can create a hole 11 meters deep, were likely part of the ammunition shipment that Washington suspended delivery to Tel Aviv.
On June 8, 2024, Israel justified the killing of 274 civilians under the pretext of securing the release of four Israeli captives. The massacre that occurred in Al-Nuseirat resulted in the deaths of at least 274 people, including at least 64 children, with more than 700 others injured, according to the Health Ministry in Gaza.
Read More
Israel Exploits Captives in Gaza for Propaganda to Continue Extermination War
Evidence Proves Israel Killed Civilians at UNRWA's Al-Jaouni School, Contrary to IOF Claims
