Netanyahu: I am not 'completely sure' about the death of Mohammed Deif; this attack sent a deterrent message to the Iranian government

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, following the attack on Saturday targeting Hamas commanders in western Khan Younis, stated in a press conference that he is not 'completely sure' about the death of Mohammed Deif and that this attack sent a deterrent message to the Iranian government. He emphasized that victory over Hamas is 'the first and most important condition for victory over the entire axis of Iranian evil.' Netanyahu promised that Israel would eliminate all Hamas leaders. The Prime Minister added that after ensuring that no Israeli hostages were in the attack area and obtaining satisfactory information about the potential collateral damage and the nature of the munitions used, he confirmed the attack. Benjamin Netanyahu reminded that Mohammed Deif is a 'great killer' and 'the architect of the October 7 massacre and the killing of many Israelis.' The Israeli Prime Minister expressed gratitude for the intelligence that made this attack possible, adding that the attack on Saturday was carried out despite significant internal and external pressures to end the war before the goals set by his government were achieved. He reiterated the necessity of eliminating each Hamas leader, stating that achieving this goal would lead to the destruction of Hamas, the freedom of hostages, and the elimination of any threat from Gaza against Israel. Netanyahu noted that the war would continue until all of Israel's goals, including the return of residents in the north of the country to their homes, are realized. He mentioned a rift within Hamas, stating that the attack on Saturday would increase this rift regardless of its results. The Israeli Prime Minister asserted that he has not deviated 'even a millimeter' from the proposal put forward by Joe Biden, the President of the United States, and would not allow Hamas to deviate from it either. Netanyahu stated that Hamas has requested 29 changes to Biden's plan, and he has told the Israeli and American negotiating teams that he will not allow even one change to the President's proposal. The Israeli Prime Minister reiterated four conditions for Israel's right to continue the war until all set goals are achieved, Israel's control over the Rafah border and the Philadelphi corridor to prevent arms smuggling from Egypt, preventing the return of militants to northern Gaza, and finally, the return of the maximum number of living hostages during the first phase of Biden's plan. The airstrike on Saturday, July 23, targeted the hiding place of Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas's 'Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades,' and several other commanders of this group supported by the Islamic Republic in western Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of dozens. The Israeli army radio reported that Mohammed Deif was hiding in a building located in the 'Mawasi' area in western Khan Younis. The Saudi news channel 'Al-Hadath' reported that Raef Salameh, a Hamas commander in Khan Younis, was killed in the attack on Saturday, and Mohammed Deif was severely wounded. Mohammed Deif is at the top of the list of individuals wanted by Israel and is considered one of the main architects of the terrorist attack on October 15 of last year, in which 1,200 citizens, mostly civilians including women, children, and the elderly, were killed, and over 250 others were abducted as hostages. He is responsible for planning dozens of deadly attacks on Israeli citizens since the mid-1990s and is one of the designers of Hamas tunnels and the bombs used to attack Israeli civilians, having survived several assassination attempts by Israel. Hamas claims that at least 90 Palestinians were killed in the Israeli army's attack on Saturday aimed at eliminating Mohammed Deif. This militant group, as per its usual practice, did not mention the number of militants killed in this attack. Meanwhile, the 'Times of Israel' reported, citing military sources, that several other Hamas operatives were in the civilian area at the time of the attack. The Israeli army also released two images of the attack site before and after, stating that 'two main Hamas targets and other terrorists' were hiding among civilians. The country has repeatedly emphasized that Hamas uses civilians as human shields. According to the Israeli army, 'the area that was attacked was an open and wooded area with several buildings and warehouses.' Following the attack on Saturday, Yoav Gallant, the Israeli Defense Minister, held a meeting with Herzi Halevi, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli army, and Ronen Bar, the head of the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet). The attack on Saturday targeting Hamas leaders coincided with negotiations to establish a ceasefire and return hostages abducted by Hamas, and it is unclear what impact it will have on the course of these negotiations. Netanyahu's office dismissed reports of Israeli forces retreating from the Gaza and Egypt border as 'fake.'