Uncertainty Surrounds Fate of Hamas Commander After Major Israeli Airstrike

A significant Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza on Saturday aimed at Muhammad Deif, Hamas’s top military commander, has left uncertainty about his fate. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that there was still no "absolute certainty" on whether Deif had been killed. Meanwhile, a Hamas official in exile suggested that Deif might still be alive.

The Israeli military and the Shin Bet domestic security agency confirmed the death of Rafa Salameh, a key Hamas leader and another target of the attack. The strike resulted in at least 90 fatalities, approximately half of whom were women and children, and 300 injuries, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Muhammad Deif, the second most senior Hamas figure in Gaza after Yahya Sinwar, is regarded as one of the masterminds behind the October 7 attack on Israel, which led to the ongoing war in Gaza now in its 10th month.

Talks have recently resumed for a potential cease-fire agreement, involving the exchange of the roughly 120 hostages remaining in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners. It remains unclear how the airstrike will impact these already delicate negotiations.