Israel bombs the Hamas military mastermind behind the October 7th attack

AT LEAST SEVEN times Israel tried to assassinate Muhammad Deif, and failed. On the morning of July 13th, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) believe they finally tracked down the overall commander of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Their target was thought to be holed-up in a small compound west of Khan Younis, the second-largest city in Gaza. Fighter jets dropping 900kg (2,000lb) bombs obliterated the compound and all in it.

Without final confirmation, Israel is loth to claim that it has killed the second-most powerful Hamas figure in Gaza. But security sources say there is “high probability” that Mr Deif is dead. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, who is always eager to claim credit for any success, was quick to put out a statement reminding everyone that he had given “a permanent instruction already at the beginning of the war to eliminate the senior Hamas leaders”.