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Mohammed Deif was one of the alleged masterminds of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
Mohammed Deif, who was killed by Israel last year. (File picture: AP)
Jerusalem,UPDATED: Jan 30, 2025 23:41 IST
Hamas confirmed for the first time on Thursday that Israeli killed the head of its military wing, Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike last year. Deif was one of the alleged masterminds of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza.
The announcement comes shortly after Hamas released hostages in exchange for prisoners held by Israel. This is the third round of exchanges in the Gaza ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, which is in its second week.
Israel released 110 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for five Thai and three Israeli hostages who Hamas freed from Gaza hours earlier.
The chaotic sight of the Israeli hostages being escorted by armed fighters through thousands of onlookers drew condemnation from Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He said he wouldn’t free this round of Palestinian prisoners until U.S. and Arab mediators assured him that hostages would be released safely in the future. He later said he received such a commitment.
Published By:
Ashutosh Acharya
Published On:
Jan 30, 2025
