The IDF confirmed Thursday that its July 13 airstrike targeting Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif was successful in killing him.

The military stated that recent intelligence has definitively confirmed Deif’s death, although it had been confident for the past two weeks that the strike had achieved its goal.

The IDF did not disclose specifics about the new confirmatory information or its nature. Typically, such intelligence is highly sensitive, involving either human assets or advanced electronic surveillance that the defense establishment prefers to keep secret.

Sources suggested that while some members of Hamas and Hezbollah had known about Deif’s death for some time, others may have remained unaware due to disruptions in Hamas’ operational network.

Earlier, on July 21, the IDF had announced with certainty that Deif was in the same room as Hamas Khan Yunis Brigade Commander Rafah Salame when Salame was killed by the airstrike.

The scale of the bombs used and the confirmation of Salame’s death had already made it highly probable that Deif was also killed. However, the IDF had previously noted that Deif had survived similar attacks in the past by being in a relatively protected area of the targeted location.

For the operation, the air force deployed five pairs of aircraft and drones to continuously monitor the residence where Deif was expected to visit Salame. This strategy allowed for immediate action once the war cabinet approved the strike, minimizing the time between authorization and execution.

The air force remained on standby for over a day and a half, while Israeli intelligence had been tracking Salame’s location for several weeks, ensuring precise timing for the attack.

The airstrike was part of a broader strategy to disrupt Hamas’ operations and leadership structure. The IDF’s careful planning and execution aimed to avoid giving Deif any opportunity to escape, reflecting the high stakes involved in this operation and the meticulous approach taken to ensure its success.