Mohammed Deif: The ‘cat with nine lives' who transformed Hamas' military

Middle East Eye

31-01-2025

Mohammed Deif, the man who led Hamas' armed wing for over two decades, survived at least seven Israeli assassination attempts during his lifetime. It had been believed by some that he may have survived an eighth attempt last year.
Israel said that it killed Deif in an air strike on al-Mawasi in southern Gaza in July. But Hamas did not confirm the killing - until Thursday evening.
A shadowy figure who was rarely photographed or filmed, Deif was one of the founding members of Hamas' armed wing, the Qassam Brigades, playing a key role in its strategic and military development.
Born Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri in 1965 in southern Gaza's Khan Younis, Deif was a refugee from an impoverished background.
His family moved to Khan Younis in 1948, after being forced from their home in al-Qubayba, a town near Ramle, during the Nakba (or catastrophe).
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
He earned a degree from the Islamic University of Gaza, where he studied biology, physics, and chemistry.
There he led the university's entertainment committee, often performing on stage as part of a theatre group called The Returnees. It was reported that years later, he may have used his acting experience by playing roles in Hamas videos.
Deif joined Hamas as it was founded in 1987 during the First Intifida Palestinian uprising.
Two years later he was detained by Israel for 16 months, charged with military involvement.
It was during his imprisonment that he and fellow Hamas detainee Salah Shehade agreed to form a military cell within Hamas that would focus on capturing Israeli soldiers.
Upon their release, Deif and Shehade were among the founding members of Qassam Brigades.
'The Guest'
After Israel assassinated several senior Hamas leaders in the 1990s, Deif began to keep a low profile.
He moved to the occupied West Bank, setting up a branch of Qassam Brigades.
He moved around frequently, often staying in the homes of Hamas supporters, earning the nom de guerre "al-Deif", which means 'the guest' in Arabic.
On 9 October 1994, Deif led an operation to abduct Israeli soldier Nachshon Wachsman, which Hamas hoped would pressure Israel into releasing its founder Ahmed Yassin.
Appearing on camera for the first time, a masked Deif announced the capture, demanding the Israeli government release Yassin.
A failed Israeli rescue attempt five days later led to the deaths of Wachsman, three Palestinian fighters and an Israeli soldier.
People perform absentee funeral prayers for Mohammed Deif at the Great Mosque of Gaza on 31 January (Reuters/Omar Ashtawy/apaimages)
Deif would reportedly go on to be involved in a number of attacks against Israelis, targeting both soldiers and civilians.
In May 2000, he was arrested by Palestinian Authority security forces, but escaped with the help of guards seven months later.
Yasser Arafat was reported to have been 'infuriated' by the escape, ordering Deif's re-arrest 'dead or alive'.
After the death of Qassem Brigades leader Salah Shehade, Deif took command in July 2002. He remained in charge until his death over two decades later.
As leader, he established an academy for military training and development, and oversaw the production of rockets and missiles in Gaza, and the procurement of weapons from abroad.
He is credited with helping to design Hamas' Qassam rocket and the vast network of tunnels beneath the Gaza Strip.
He also is believed to have created the Shadow Unit, which hides Israeli captives in Gaza and deceives those attempting to rescue them.
Deif reportedly organised a raid that led to the capture of Gilad Shalit, an Israeli soldier, in June 2006.
Shalit was released five years later in exchange for 1,027 Palestinians, including Yahya Sinwar, who would later lead Hamas.
'Cat with nine lives'
Israeli forces attempted to assassinate Deif at least seven times between 2001 and 2021.
He reportedly lost an eye in one of the attacks, an arm in another, and was partially paralysed. His repeated survival earned him the nickname 'the cat with nine lives' among his adversaries.
An assassination attempt in August 2014, during a six-week war on Gaza, killed Deif's wife, daughter, aged three, and son, aged seven months.
A year later, the US State Department added his name to its list of specially designated global terrorists.
He reportedly made a rare audio address during the 2014 war, warning Israel against deploying ground forces.
'What the air force and your artillery shelling has failed to accomplish will not be accomplished by ground forces,' Deif said. 'You are sending your soldiers to a definite slaughterhouse, God willing.'
In his next audio address, in May 2021, the shadowy commander said Israel would pay a 'heavy price' if it did not withdraw its forces from Sheikh Jarrah in occupied East Jerusalem.
A two-week war ensued, during which Israeli forces killed 256 Palestinians, while Palestinian groups killed 15 people in Israel.
On 7 October 2023, he made his last public audio address, announcing a surprise attack on southern Israel which killed around 1,100 people and led to 250 others being taken captive to Gaza.
Deif, along with Sinwar, is widely believed to have masterminded the attack.
'If you have a gun, get it out. This is the time to use it - get out with trucks, cars, axes, today the best and most honorable history starts,' he said in the message.
Footage released by Al Jazeera in a documentary last week showed Deif, with his face blurred, in a command room planning 7 October, stating: 'We can change history.'
Deif, Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas' former leader, were sought by the International Criminal Court for arrest warrants over charges of killing hundreds of Israeli civilians and the taking of captives on 7 October.
The ICC prosecutor said the three Hamas leaders bore criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity, including murder and extermination, as well as war crimes such as hostage-taking and cruel treatment of captives, and other serious offences.
All three leaders were killed by Israel before the warrant could be issued.