Israel says it has confirmed Hamas military wing chief Mohammed Deif was killed in a July strike

JERUSALEM (AP) — The Israeli military said Thursday that it has confirmed that the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. The announcement comes a day after an apparent Israeli strike in the Iranian capital killed Hamas’ top political leader.

The rapid events this week have left U.S., Egyptian and Qatari mediators scrambling to salvage talks for a cease-fire deal in Gaza. At the same time, international diplomats were trying to avert an escalation into all-out regional war after the assassination in Tehran of Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh, Israel’s killing of a top Hezbollah commander in a Beirut strike and – now – Israel’s announcement of Deif’s death.

There was no immediate comment on the Israeli claim by Hamas, which had previously said Deif survived the July strike in Gaza. A member of Hamas’ political bureau, Izzat al-Risheq, said in a statement Thursday that confirming or denying his death is the responsibility of the armed wing, known as the Izzedin al-Qassam Brigades, which so far was silent.

The elimination of Haniyeh and Deif — two of Hamas’ most senior figures — brings a victory for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. It also puts him at a crossroads.

It potentially presents him with a political off-ramp to end the war, allowing him to retreat from his lofty promises of “total victory” while showing Israelis that Hamas’ military capabilities suffered a debilitating blow.

It could also lead him to harden Israel’s position in cease-fire talks, with Israeli officials insisting the blows to Hamas will force it to compromise. Hamas too could dig in as well in the talks — or quit them entirely.

Israel believes that Deif, the head of Hamas’ military, and Yahya Sinwar, the top Hamas leader in Gaza, were the chief architects of the Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and triggered the Israel-Hamas war. Sinwar is believed to remain in hiding in Gaza.

Israel targeted Deif in a July 13 strike that hit a compound on the outskirts of the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The military said at the time that another Hamas commander, Rafa Salama, was killed. More than 90 other people, including displaced civilians in nearby tents, were killed in the strike, Gaza health officials said at the time.

In a statement Thursday, the Israeli military said that “following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike.”

In its 10-month-old campaign of bombardment and offensives in Gaza, Israel has killed some 39,480 Palestinians and wounded more than 91,100 others, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, whose count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants. More than 80% of the population of 2.3 million have been driven from their homes, the vast majority crammed into tent camps in the southwest corner of the territory, with limited food and water.

So far Netanyahu has said he is determined to continue the war until Hamas is destroyed. Far-right nationalist coalition partners, on whom he relies to stay in power, have threatened to bolt the government if he halts the war.

After the announcement on Deif, far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the “defeat of Hamas is closer than ever.” He said the military would continue to “eliminate thousands of other terrorists until our security is restored and we bring the hostages home.”

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the strike that killed Deif was a “significant milestone” toward achieving the goals of the war. “The results of this operation reflect that Hamas is an organization in disintegration,” he wrote on X.

Deif was one of the founders of Hamas’ military wing, the Qassam Brigades, in the 1990s. He led the unit for decades through campaigns of suicide bombings against Israeli civilians, volleys of rocket fire into Israel, and repeated past Israeli assaults on Gaza since Hamas took power there in 2007.

He remained a mysterious, underground figure in Gaza. He never appeared in public, was hardly ever photographed and only rarely was his voice heard in audio statements. He survived a string of Israeli assassination attempts.

Haniyeh’s killing in particular threw into disarray months of efforts at reaching a deal for a cease-fire in Gaza and a hostage release. Haniyeh had been a main negotiator in those talks.

Qatari and Egyptian officials had tense exchanges with U.S counterparts over the assassination, said an Egyptian official with direct knowledge of the talks, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the internal discussions.

While the U.S. has been pressing Egyptian and Qatari mediators to get Hamas to compromise, the Americans can’t “pressure the other party, Israel to … refrain from provocative acts,” the Egyptian official said, calling the assassination “reckless.”

Qatar’s prime minister, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, expressed frustration in a post on social media, saying: “Can mediation succeed when one party assassinates the negotiator on the other side?”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that the U.S. had no prior knowledge of the strike in Tehran that killed Haniyeh.

The Egyptian official said no deal was likely in the near future since Hamas must now name Haniyeh’s replacement. Mediators had been waiting for Hamas’ response on the latest version of the deal. Instead, after Haniyeh’s funeral, expected Friday, he said they will reach out to Hamas officials to explore the next steps.

After Haniyeh’s assassination, Iran has vowed revenge against Israel, and the killing of Hezbollah commander Fouad Shukur in Beirut could also bring reprisals — raising fears of a wider spiral of escalation.

The Egyptian official now said the priority was preventing full-scale war.

Magdy reported from Cairo.

This graphic released by Israel Defense Forces on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, announces the death of Hamas Military Wing Commander Mohammed Deif. The Israeli military said Thursday that it has confirmed that the head of Hamas' military wing, Deif, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. (Israel Defense Forces via AP)

Iranians follow the truck carrying the coffins of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh and his bodyguard who were killed in an assassination blamed on Israel on Wednesday, during their funeral ceremony at Enqelab-e-Eslami (Islamic Revolution) Sq. in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Palestinians search for bodies and survivors in a site hit by an Israeli bombardment on Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Saturday, July 13, 2024. The Israeli military said Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, that it has confirmed that the head of Hamas' military wing, Mohammed Deif, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi, File)

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio (AP) — For many Haitian immigrants, Sunday mornings in Springfield, Ohio, are spent joyfully worshipping God as they sing and pray in their native Creole. This Sunday, they needed that uplifting balm more than ever.

Their community is reeling — confused, frustrated, hurt — from false accusations that they are eating their neighbor’s cats and dogs. The now viral and highly politicized rumors are being fueled by former President Donald Trump, his running mate JD Vance and others, and violent threats against the community are upending daily life in their city.

“Jesus is with us in truth, and the truth is that Haitians are not eating pets and geese in Springfield,” said the Rev. Carl Ruby, preaching at Central Christian Church. He invited community members to join his congregation in prayer and peaceful protest of the false rumors leveled against their Haitian neighbors.

They also demanded an apology.

“It is truth that a retraction of these rumors will help to restore peace in Springfield," Ruby said. “We respectfully call on all politicians and media figures who are promoting this rumor to help make Springfield great and safe again by speaking the truth about our community.”

Viles Dorsainvil, the leader of Haitian Community Help and Support Center in Springfield, accepted Ruby's invitation to worship together at Central Christian, and was grateful to be relying on his faith.

“It’s important to be here because we’re Christian — despite everything, we worship in good times and bad times,” he said. “I’m relieved that I’m in the presence of God. It’s therapeutic.”

And he had a message for Trump and Vance: “If they have the heart of God, they will think differently and speak differently.”

The rumors, spread on social media and by Trump during Tuesday’s televised presidential debate against Vice President Kamala Harris, have exacerbated fears about division and anti-immigrant sentiment ahead of the election in the mostly white, blue-collar city of about 59,000 where more than 15,000 Haitians now live and work.

Thousands of temporary Haitian migrants have legally landed in Springfield in recent years under the U.S.'s Temporary Protected Status program, as longstanding unrest in their home country has given way to violent gangs ruling the streets.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, has said the federal government needs to do more to help cities like Springfield serve the influx of migrants. On ABC’s “This Week," DeWine called the Haitians good, hardworking people who are in the U.S. legally, and said the false rumors are a piece of internet garbage.

“There’s no evidence of this at all,” he said during the program.

Despite the governor and local officials debunking the rumors, Vance reiterated the conspiracy theory on Sunday's “Face the Nation” on CBS while blasting Harris on her U.S.-Mexico border policy.

At Central Christian Church, Ruby encouraged his congregation to help hand out thousands of cards around Springfield that had been printed in Creole and English with a message of support for Haitians. It reads" “I’m glad you are here. Christ loves you and so do I."

As the service ended, Ruby praised parishioners for a beautiful moment amid what he called a storm of chaos. Looking at the Haitian members n the first pew and at the rest of his congregation, he asked them to come together in prayer: “Pray and think what it is to be a Haitian parent sending their child this week to school."

One of those parents is Mia Perez, 35 an immigration lawyer whose 9-year-old daughter had to evacuate her school twice because of bomb threats to a nearby DMV this week.

“Kids in school are being asked by other kids: ’How does the dog taste? How does the cat taste?” Perez said, describing her daughter’s distress.

"She’s asking, 'Are we the kind of Haitians who eat this kind of stuff? Is it true? What’s happening?'”

“This is a conversation that I was not ready to have with my daughter," Perez said. "I felt disrespected of our culture.”

Among those attending Sunday's service in Central Christian was Rose-Thamar Joseph, 40, who works at the Haitian Community Center.

“I was praying for peace and protection — for the Haitian community and all of Springfield," she said. “I just want Springfield to go back to what it was a couple of months ago."

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Carl Ruby, pastor at Central Christian Church, hugs Viles Dorsainvil during service, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Members of the Haitian community, from left, Lindsay Aime, James Fleurijean, Rose-Thamar Joseph, Harold Herard, and Viles Dorsainvil, stand for worship with Carl Ruby, pastor at Central Christian Church, in Springfield, Ohio, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Carl Ruby, pastor at Central Christian Church, hugs Lindsay Aime during service, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Central Christian Church congregants stand to applaud members of the Haitian community during service, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Springfield, Ohio. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Members of the Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio, from left, Lindsay Aime, James Fleurijean, Viles Dorsainvil, and Rose-Thamar Joseph, stand for worship at Central Christian Church, on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)