Hamas courier reportedly revealed location of its military commander Deif to Israel

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A courier within the Hamas terrorist organization revealed the location of its military commander Mohammed Deif to Israel, the Saudi news outlet Al Arabiya reported on Monday.

The information reportedly played a central role in the IDF's assassination of Deif on July 13 in a designated humanitarian zone close to the southern Gazan town of Khan Younis. Deif has been at the top of Israel’s most-wanted terrorist list for decades for his central role in terror attacks against Israel.

Hamas is believed to have interrogated the former courier, whose name and fate is currently unknown. The courier, who hails from Rafah, reportedly provided his Israeli handler with detailed maps of the city and Hamas’ subterranean tunnel network, including locations of weapons caches.

Hamas has a history of brutally executing members who are suspected of cooperating with Israel. Before Deif's assassination, the courier had been tasked with transferring messages between Hamas' Rafah Brigade commander and the Khan Younis Hamas compound, where Deif was hiding from Israeli troops.

Hamas quickly confirmed that its Khan Younis Brigade Commander Rafa Salama, who was next to Deif, was killed in the operation, however, the fate of Deif remained unknown. After seven previous failed assassination attempts, Israeli authorities carefully avoided making any definitive announcements until the Hamas leader's death could be confirmed.

"There is still no absolute certainty that Deif and Salama have been eliminated, but I guarantee that we will reach the top of Hamas," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

However, senior Israeli intelligence and military officials were cautiously optimistic they had accurate intelligence concerning the whereabouts of Deif.

Two weeks later, the Israeli military officially confirmed that Deif had been killed in the aerial attack close to Khan Younis.

“After an intelligence check, it can be confirmed that the attack killed Muhammad Deif, the commander of the military wing and number two in the terrorist organization Hamas in Gaza, who planned and carried out the murderous massacre on October 7,” the IDF stated.

“Deif worked closely with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and during the war he managed the terrorist activities of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, issuing orders and instructions to the senior military wing of the organization,” the statement added. Hamas has so far officially not confirmed Deif’s death.

Deif and Sinwar are believed to be the main architects behind Hamas’ unprecedented Oct. 7 invasion and attack on southern Israeli border communities, which resulted in the massacre of at least 1,200 Israelis and the kidnapping of around 250 into Gaza, 115 of whom are still in captivity after more than 10 months.

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant stressed that the elimination of Deif was a crucial step towards the eventual dismantlement of Hamas' military and political capabilities.

“This is a significant milestone in the process of dismantling Hamas as a military and governing authority in Gaza, and in the achievement of the goals of this war,” Gallant stated.

“This operation reflects the fact that Hamas is disintegrating and that Hamas terrorists may either surrender or they will be eliminated. Israel’s defense establishment will pursue Hamas terrorists - both the planners and the perpetrators of the 07.10 massacre. We will not rest until this mission is accomplished.”