According to senior security sources, Israeli intelligence agencies have strengthened their assessment that Muhammad Deif, the supreme commander of Hamas’ military wing, was indeed eliminated in the assassination attempt in Khan Yunis.
This assessment is based on evidence and intelligence gathered by the Shin Bet and the IDF Intelligence Division, indicating Deif was present at the bombed compound.
The operation to eliminate Deif was orchestrated by the Shin Bet’s Special Operations Command.
The Shin Bet led the hunt for Deif, demonstrating a significant restoration of their intelligence and operational capabilities since October 7.
Sources in the Gaza Strip indicate that since the IDF attack, Deir al-Balah hospital has become a fortified stronghold for Hamas.
Hamas is reportedly trying to identify dozens of bodies, one of which may belong to Deif.
Hamas has a clear interest in hiding the news of Deif’s death to avoid severe morale damage, but there are indications that the operational impact is already significant.
Chief of Staff Hertzi Halevi stated that Hamas is attempting to conceal the results of the attack.
The security establishment estimates that neither Hezbollah nor the Hamas branch in southern Lebanon will respond with massive rocket fire, avoiding confirmation of Deif’s assassination.
In the interim, Hamas is not waiting to fill the vacuum left by Deif. Sources in Gaza claim that Muhammad Sinwar is being considered as Deif’s potential successor.
Muhammad Sinwar, born in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in 1975, is a member of the military council of Hamas’ military wing, Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
He previously served as the commander of the Khan Yunis brigade and is responsible for the kidnapping of IDF soldier Gilad Shalit on June 25, 2006.
Sinwar is also considered one of the planners of the October 7 massacre in Israeli settlements near the Gaza Strip, alongside his brother Yahya Sinwar and Muhammad Deif.
He has lived underground for many years and was nicknamed “the living dead” after Hamas announced his fictitious death in 2014 to mislead Israeli intelligence.
Many in Gaza claim that Sinwar is more significant in the military branch than his brother Yahya and that he conducted indirect negotiations with Israel for the “Shalit deal” in 2011, which led to Yahya Sinwar’s release.
Muhammad Sinwar has survived six assassination attempts, with the most recent during Operation Guardian of the Walls in May 2021.
In November 2023, IDF forces raided Muhammad Sinwar’s office in Gaza City and confiscated intelligence material.
The Skeleton in Muhammad Sinwar’s Closet
Hamas officials claim that when Yahya Sinwar was released from Israeli prison in 2011 as part of the “Shalit deal,” senior military branch officials and security prisoner leaders complained that his younger brother Muhammad was involved in pedophilia and sexual harassment of Hamas operatives and Gazan boys.
Israeli security sources say Yahya Sinwar used his position to cover up the investigation into his brother’s exploits, preventing an internal inquiry.
There are also claims by Hamas members, who were not included in the “Shalit deal” release list, that they were kept imprisoned due to Muhammad’s fear that their release would publicize his sexual misconduct.
According to Israeli security sources, the Shin Bet learned of some of these affairs from Hezbollah terrorist Samir Kuntar, who told investigators that Yahya Sinwar forbade the investigation of sexual abuse cases within the prison to prevent his brother’s involvement from being revealed.
Kuntar, involved in the 1979 murder of the Haran family and policeman Eliyahu Shahar in Nahariya, was killed by Israel in Syria in 2015.
The military leadership of Hamas appears to be on the brink of collapse.
The IDF and the Shin Bet are intensifying their efforts to hunt down Yahya and Muhammad Sinwar, aiming to prevent the military arm of Hamas from recovering from the severe blows it has received.
