New Details Emerge on Hamas Military Chief Mohammed Deif’s Escape Route in Gaza

Two years after the high-profile killing of Mohammed Deif, the military chief of Hamas, new dramatic details have surfaced about his movements and escape route within the Gaza Strip from the outbreak of the October 7 war until his death. According to a detailed report in the Arab newspaper Al-Sharq Al-Awsat, cited by Israeli media, Hamas leadership was largely unaware of Deif’s exact location during the conflict, mistakenly believing he was safely positioned in northern Gaza rather than in the south.

The report reveals that despite official denials by Hamas following the strike that killed Deif, the confusion was not merely psychological warfare but stemmed from deep internal disarray. Many senior Hamas figures thought Deif was in Gaza City, and even those aware he had moved south did not know his precise hideout. Contrary to assumptions that he was protected underground, Deif rarely used tunnels after the war began, except once.

Deif’s final hideout was a villa owned by Rafah Salama, commander of the Khan Yunis brigade, who was killed alongside Deif and several family members and guards in the Israeli airstrike. Initially, Deif stayed in northern Gaza for weeks after the October 7 attack but made a bold decision in early November to move alone to southern Gaza near Rafah, despite opposition from close aides who urged him to remain in the north where they could better protect him.

During this move, Deif lost contact with Hamas leadership for four days and struggled to find a safe house, ultimately surviving on the streets and in mosques in Rafah unnoticed. Israeli intelligence lacked recent images of Deif, enabling him to blend in with displaced Palestinians. After four days, a Hamas operative recognized him and moved him to a secure location near Khan Yunis, where he and Salama hid until the precise Israeli strike that killed them both.

Deif was responsible for orchestrating the October 7 attack and numerous other operations over the years, making him one of the most wanted terror commanders globally. His death marked a significant blow to Hamas’s military leadership.