How a secretive Hamas commander masterminded the assault on Israel

DUBAI, Oct 11 (Reuters) – Israel calls final week’s devastating assault by Hamas its 9/11 second. The secretive mastermind behind the assault, Palestinian militant Mohammed Deif, calls it Al Aqsa Flood.

The phrase Israel’s most needed man utilized in an audio tape broadcast as Hamas fired 1000’s of rockets out of the Gaza strip on Saturday signalled the assault was payback for Israeli raids at Jerusalem’s Al Aqsa mosque.

It was in Might 2021, after a raid on Islam’s third holiest web site that enraged the Arab and Muslim world, when Deif started planning the operation that has killed greater than 1,200 individuals in Israel, in keeping with a supply near Hamas in Gaza.

“It was triggered by scenes and pictures of Israel storming Al Aqsa mosque throughout Ramadan, beating worshippers, attacking them, dragging aged and younger males out of the mosque,” the supply stated. “All this fuelled and ignited the anger.”

That storming of the mosque compound, lengthy a flashpoint for violence over issues of sovereignty and faith in Jerusalem, helped set off 11 days of combating between Israel and Hamas.

Greater than two years on, Saturday’s assault, the worst breach in Israeli defences for the reason that 1973 Arab-Israeli battle, pushed Israel to declare battle and launch retaliatory strikes on Gaza that had killed greater than 800 individuals by Tuesday.

A survivor of seven Israeli assassination makes an attempt, the latest in 2021, Deif not often speaks and by no means seems in public. So when Hamas’s TV channel introduced he was about to talk on Saturday, Palestinians knew one thing important was afoot.

“Right this moment the trend of Al Aqsa, the trend of our individuals and nation is exploding. Our mujahedeen (fighters), right this moment is your day to make this legal perceive that his time has ended,” Deif stated within the recording.

There are solely three pictures of Deif: one in his 20s, one other of him masked, and a picture of his shadow, which was used when the audio tape was broadcast.

The whereabouts of Deif are unknown, although he’s probably in Gaza within the maze of tunnels below the enclave. An Israeli safety supply stated Deif was instantly concerned within the planning and operational elements of the assault.

TWO BRAINS, ONE MASTERMIND

Palestinian sources stated one of many houses Israeli air strikes hit in Gaza in a single day belonged to Deif’s father. Deif’s brother and two different relations had been killed within the strike, in keeping with the sources.

The supply near Hamas stated the choice to arrange the assault was taken collectively by Deif, who instructions Hamas’s Al Qassam Brigades, together with Yehya Sinwar, the chief of Hamas in Gaza, nevertheless it was clear who was the architect.

“There are two brains, however there’s one mastermind,” the supply stated, including that details about the operation was recognized solely to a handful of Hamas leaders.

Secrecy was such that Iran, Israel’s sworn foe and an vital supply of finance, coaching and weaponry for Hamas, knew solely typically phrases that the motion was planning a significant operation and didn’t know the timing or the main points, in keeping with a regional supply conversant in the group’s pondering.

The supply stated that whereas Tehran was conscious a significant operation was being ready, it was not mentioned in any joint operation rooms involving Hamas, the Palestinian management, Iranian-backed Lebanese militants Hezbollah, and Iran.

“It was a really tight circle,” the supply stated.

Iran’s prime authority Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated on Tuesday Tehran was not concerned within the assault on Israel. Washington has stated whereas Tehran was complicit, it had no intelligence or proof that factors to Iran’s direct participation within the assaults.

The plan as conceived by Deif concerned a chronic effort at deception. Israel was led to imagine that Hamas, an ally of Israel’s sworn foe Iran, was not thinking about launching a battle and was focusing as a substitute on financial improvement in Gaza, the place the motion is the governing energy.

However whereas Israel started offering financial incentives to Gazan staff, the group’s fighters had been being skilled and drilled, typically in plain sight of the Israeli navy, a supply near Hamas stated.

“We’ve ready for this battle for 2 years,” stated Ali Baraka, the top of exterior relations for Hamas.

Talking in a relaxed voice, Deif stated in his recording that Hamas had repeatedly warned Israel to cease its crimes in opposition to Palestinians, to launch prisoners, whom he stated had been abused and tortured, and to halt its expropriation of Palestinian land.

“Every single day the occupation storm our villages, cities and cities within the West Financial institution and raid homes, kill, injure, destroy and detain. On the similar time, it confiscates 1000’s of acres of our land, uproots our individuals from their homes to construct settlements whereas its legal siege continues on Gaza.”

‘IN THE SHADOWS’

For nicely over a 12 months, there was turmoil within the West Financial institution, an space about 100 km (60 miles) lengthy and 50 km broad that has been on the coronary heart of the Israeli-Palestinian battle because it was seized by Israel in 1967.

Deif stated Hamas had urged the worldwide neighborhood to place an finish to the “crimes of the occupation”, however Israel had stepped up its provocation. He additionally stated Hamas had previously requested Israel for a humanitarian deal to launch Palestinian prisoners, however this was rejected.

“In gentle of the orgy of occupation and its denial of worldwide legal guidelines and resolutions, and in gentle of American and western help and worldwide silence, we have determined to place an finish to all this,” he stated.

Born as Mohammad Masri in 1965 within the Khan Yunis Refugee Camp arrange after the 1948 Arab-Israeli Battle, the militant chief grew to become often called Mohammed Deif after becoming a member of Hamas throughout the first Intifada, or Palestinian rebellion, which started in 1987.

He was arrested by Israel in 1989 and spent about 16 months in detention, a Hamas supply stated.

Deif earned a level in science from the Islamic College in Gaza, the place he studied physics, chemistry and biology. He displayed an affinity for the humanities, heading the college’s leisure committee and acting on stage in comedies.

Rising up the Hamas ranks, Deif developed the group’s community of tunnels and its bomb-making experience. He has topped Israel’s most needed record for many years, held personally answerable for the deaths of dozens of Israelis in suicide bombings.

For Deif, staying within the shadow has been a matter of life or dying. Hamas sources stated he misplaced an eye fixed and sustained critical accidents in a single leg in certainly one of Israel’s assassination makes an attempt.

His spouse, 7-month-old son, and 3-year-old daughter had been killed by an Israeli air strike in 2014.

His survival whereas operating Hamas’s armed wing has earned him the standing of a Palestinian people hero. In movies he’s masked, or only a shadow of him is seen. He does not use fashionable digital know-how similar to sensible telephones, the supply near Hamas stated.

“He’s elusive. He’s the person within the shadows.”

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.