Politics Israeli army confirms death of Hamas brigade chief

Israel's army has confirmed the death of Hamas brigade leader Rafa Salama. "Using intelligence, the Israeli Air Force attacked and eliminated the commander of the Khan Junis Brigade (of Hamas), Rafa Salama, near Khan Junis," the army announced.

The statement did not specify whether Hamas' powerful military chief in the Gaza Strip, Mohammed Deif, was also killed. According to the military, Deif was at Salama's side when the air force bombed a Hamas complex near Chan Junis on Saturday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had recently stated that there was still no absolute certainty about Deif's fate.

The Israeli army described Salama, who was killed, as one of Deif's closest associates. Since 2016, he had commanded the Chan Junis Brigade, named after the town of the same name in the southern Gaza Strip. In this capacity, he was responsible for the rocket attacks that Hamas carried out against Israel from Khan Junis over the years.

According to the army, his elimination would seriously impair Hamas' military capabilities. The Israeli military had made several attempts to kill Deif in recent years, which he survived. Both Deif and Salama are considered the masterminds and planners of the massacre on October 7.

At the time, thousands of extremists from Hamas and other organizations attacked southern Israel. They killed more than 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage in the Gaza Strip. The massacre triggered the Gaza war.