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Palestinian nationalism Factions and leaders
Yassin + Haniyeh RantisiMashalSinwarDeifDeifMabhouhHabashAbbasHawatmehNakhalah
Map: Birthplaces or family origins Details below: p. parents from, b. born in, d. death.
Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Mahmoud Abbas Also: President of the PNA PLO political factions Palestinian National Liberation Movement (Fatah) Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) Palestinian People's Party (PPP) Palestinian Liberation Front (PLF) Arab Liberation Front (ALF) Palestinian Democratic Union (FIDA) Palestinian Popular Struggle Front (PPSF) Palestinian Arab Front (PAF) As-Sa'iqa Related groups Palestinian National Initiative Leader Mustafa Barghouti
Fatah Founders Yasser Arafat p. Gaza City b. Cairo d. 2004 in Paris Khaled Yashruti Salah Khalaf Khalil al-Wazir Chairman Mahmoud Abbas b. Safed (President of the PA) Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub Vice Chairman Mahmoud Aloul
Fatah splinter groups Al-Mustaqbal (electoral list) Marwan Barghouti Prisoner of Israel see also: Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis Palestinian Mujahideen Movement Militant wing Mujahideen Brigades Former militant wings of Fatah Raed Al Karmi Founder of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades Naif Abu-Sharah Local commander in Nablus Fadi Kafisha Former head of the Tanzim in Nablus Sirhan Sirhan Zakaria Zubeidi Local commander in Jenin see also Tali Fahima Samih Madhoun d. killed by EQB Ibrahim al-Nabulsi see also: Lions' Den
Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine Secretary General George Habash b. Lydda Abu Ali Mustafa Birth name: "Mustafa Ali Zabri" b. 1938 Arraba, Jenin Jenin See also: 17 October 2001 Ahmad Sa'adat Prisoners of Israel since 2006 see also: Israel–Hamas war hostage crisis Deputy Secretary General Jamil Mezher Other key figures Ghassan Kanafani Schisms and splinter groups PFLP-GC
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Split from the PFLP in 1969. Founder and current leader Nayef Hawatmeh b. 1938 As-Salt Militant wing National Resistance Brigades Spokesperson: Abu Khaled
Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah b. Khan Yunis Militant wing Saraya Al-Quds
Hamas List of leaders Chairman of Hamas Shura Council (1987‑2004) Ahmed Yassin b. Al-Jura, d. 2004 Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi b. Yibna, d. 2004 Chairman of Hamas Polit Bureau Ismail Haniyeh p. Al-Jura, b. Al-Shati, d. 2024 Khaled Mashal b. Silwad Leader in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar p. Al‑Majal, b. Khan Yunis, d 2024 Head of International relations Basem Naim b. Beit Hanoun Police and Disaster Management Faiq Al-Mabhouh p. Bayt Tima, d. 2024 Minister for Women's Affairs Jamila al-Shanti b. Jabalia, d. 2023, m. Widow of Rantisi Militant wing Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades Leader Mohammed Deif Birth name: Mohammed Al-Masri p. Kawkaba (near Kokhav Michael) and Al‑Qubayba, b. Khan Yunis d. Failed attempt in 2014 d. Unconfirmed: 2024) Related topics Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Hamas in Lebanon All-Palestine Government in Gaza Ashkelon incorporation into Israel
Historical figures Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Namesake of the Qassam Brigades Musa Alami early Palestinian nationalist b. 1897 in Jerusalem Yaqub al-Ghusayn b. 1899 in Ramla George Antonius b. 1891 Deir al-Qamar al-Husayni family Jamal al-Husayni Musa al-Husayni
Related topics Ideologies Palestinian nationalism Islamism in the Gaza Strip Islamic nationalism § Hamas Present day Palestinian political parties Elections in Palestine Palestinian political violence Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Palestinian Legislative Council State of Palestine Occupied Palestinian Territories List of Palestinians 1967 to 1995 Palestinian fedayeen History of Hamas 1948 to 1967 All-Palestine Government Gaza Protectorate Jordanian annexation of the West Bank Palestinian National Council 1918 to 1948 Mandatory Palestine Jewish insurgency in Mandatory Palestine Army of the Holy War Society for the Defense of Palestine Before 1918 Origin of the Palestinians
This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (August 2024)
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Hamas biographies
Flag of Hamas
Abbreviations p. parents from b. born in d. death
Leaders Party leader Ahmed Yassin (1987–2004) b. Al-Jura, d. 2004 Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi (2004) b. Yibna, d. 2004 Khaled Mashal (2004–2017) b. Silwad Ismail Haniyeh (2017–2024) p. Al-Jura, b. Al-Shati, d. 2024 Yahya Sinwar (2024) p. Al‑Majal, b. Khan Yunis, d. 2024 Leader in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh (2007–2017) p. Al-Jura, b. Al-Shati, d. 2024 Yahya Sinwar (2017–2024) p. Al‑Majal, b. Khan Yunis, d. 2024 Deputy Leader Mousa Abu Marzook (1997–2013) p. Yibna, b. Rafah Ismail Haniyeh (2013–2017) p. Al-Jura, b. Al-Shati, d. 2024 Saleh al-Arouri (2017–2024) b. 'Arura, d. 2024 Khalil al-Hayya (2024–) b. Gaza City Military wing leader Mohammed Deif p. Al‑Qubayba, b. Khan Yunis d. Possible death in 2024
Politicians and officials Male politicians Basem Naim b. Beit Hanoun Head of International relations Previously: Health Minister Aziz Dweik Ali Baraka Mousa Abu Marzook Female politicians Jamila al-Shanti b. Jabalia, m. Widow of Rantisi, d. 2023 Minister for Women's Affairs Government officials in the Gaza Strip Faiq Al-Mabhouh p. Bayt Tima, b. Jabalia, d. 2024 Police and crisis management Ashraf al-Qidra Health Ministry spokesperson Officials in Lebanon Osama Hamdan Officials in Turkey Zaher Jabarin Alleged weapons dealers Mahmoud al-Mabhouh p. Bayt Tima b. Jabalia d. 2010
Al-Qassam BrigadesDoritos Spokesperson: Abu  Obaida Chief of staff: Mohammed Deif p. Kawkaba (near Kokhav Michael) and Al‑Qubayba, b. Khan Yunis Botched assassination in 2014 d. Unconfirmed in 2024 ICC arrest warrant Marwan Issa p. Al‑Majal b. Bureij refugee camp d. 2024 Yahya Sinwar d. 2024 (political leader KIA see above) Alleged "Nukhba" Ayman Nofal d. 2023 Ali Al Qadi Qassam commanders Ahmed Jabari Mahmoud Rushdi Ishtiwi [ar] Muhammad Abu Shamala [ar] Raed al Atar Engineers Yahya Ayyash Adnan al-Ghoul Martyrdom operatives Jafar Muna
Alphabetical list Imad Abbas Ismail Abu Shanab Imad al-Alami Saleh al-Arouri Salah al-Bardawil Essam al-Da'alis Muhammad Ismail Darwish Wissam Farhat Osama Hamdan Zaher Jabarin Khaled Mashal Rawhi Mushtaha Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi Muhammad Shabana Fatah Sharif Yahya Sinwar Sheikh Abu Salah Taha Ahmed Yassin Hassan Yousef Mahmoud al-Zahar Imad Abbas Emad Akel Raed al Atar Yahya Ayyash Abdullah Barghouti Mohammed Dababish Mohammed Deif Ahmed Ghandour Adnan al-Ghoul Hamza Abu al-Haija Walid Hamdiya Ibrahim Hamed Abu Omar Hassan Marwan Issa Ahmed Jabari Fursan Khalifa Izz El-Deen Sheikh Khalil Mahmoud al-Mabhouh Tito Masoud Mohammed Sinwar Wa'el Nassar Ayman Nofal Ali Al Qadi Rafa Salama Samar Sabih Mohiyedine Sharif Salah Shehade Alaa Shreiteh Omar Abd al-Razaq Samir Abu Eisheh Muhammad Abu Tir Atef Adwan Jamal Akal Yunis Al Astal Nizar Awadallah Husam Badran Ahmad Bahar Ali Baraka Mohammad Barghouti Issa Batran Fadi Mohammad al-Batsh Abdul Fatah Dukhan Aziz Dweik Mazen Faqha Nidal Farahat Kamal Ghanaja Ibrahim Ghosheh Ihab al-Ghussein Samira Abdullah Halaykah Fathi Hamad Ghazi Hamad Ismail Haniyeh Abu Omar Hassan Khalil al-Hayya Ahmad Abu Holi Tawfik Jaber Abd al-Rahman al-Jamal Hadem Rida Jarrar Wasfi Kabha Ahmad Kurd Faiq Al-Mabhouh Ibrahim al-Makadmeh Yousef al-Mansi Mousa Abu Marzook Osama Mazini Basem Naim Umm Nidal Hatem Qafisha Nayef Rajoub Nizar Rayan Reem Riyashi Muhammad Sawalha Said Seyam Nasser al-Shaer Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti Amal Syam Khaled Tafesh Ayman Taha Mohammad Taha Sheikh Abu Salah Taha Raad Thabet Adly Yaish Ahmed Yousef Hassan Yousef Mosab Hassan Yousef Mahmoud al-Zahar Mahmoud Khalil Zakzuk Wael Al Zard Ziad Al-Zaza Sami Abu Zuhri Mohamed Zouari Dissident faction Qawasameh tribe
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Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (Arabic: محمد دياب إبراهيم المصري; born 1965), better known as Mohammed Deif (Arabic: محمد الضيف), is a Palestinian militant and the head of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist organization Hamas.

Deif was born around 1965 in the Khan Yunis Refugee Camp in the Gaza Strip, to a family that fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine war. He reportedly left school temporarily to support his low-income family, later graduating with a bachelor's degree in chemistry from the Islamic University of Gaza in 1988, where he had established a theater group.

Deif joined Hamas in 1987, weeks after it was established during the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation, and later became known as Mohammed Deif, meaning 'guest' in Arabic, possibly in reference to the nomadic lifestyle he adopted to avoid being targeted. During the 1990s and early 2000s, he planned several suicide bombing attacks, including the 1996 Jaffa Road bus bombings. He became the head of the al-Qassam Brigades in 2002 and developed the group's capabilities, transforming it from a cluster of amateur cells to organized military units. He masterminded the group's strategy of combining rocket attacks on Israel with tunnel warfare, and was central to planning the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel that initiated the Israel–Hamas war.

Deif has been on the Israeli military's most wanted list since 1995 for killing Israeli soldiers and civilians. He was detained by the Palestinian Authority at Israel's request in 2000 before escaping months later. He has been targeted in multiple Israeli assassination attempts since 2001, surviving at least seven attempts on his life. His wife, infant son, and 3-year-old daughter were killed in an Israeli airstrike in 2014. The United States and the European Union added Deif to their terrorism lists in 2015 and 2023 respectively. In May 2024, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for arrest warrants for Deif and several other Hamas and Israeli leaders for their war conduct.

Israel claims that Deif was killed in an airstrike in al-Mawasi on 13 July 2024. Hamas has denied Deif's death. In early November 2024 it was reported that Hamas had privately acknowledged his death, but Hamas released a statement disputing the newspaper's report. On 21 November 2024, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Deif, stating that they were unable to confirm his death.

Early life

Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri was born around 1965 in the Khan Younis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. His family originates from al-Qubeiba, a former town near Ramleh in Mandatory Palestine, but fled or were expelled during the 1948 Palestine war. According to the Shin Bet, either his father or his uncle had participated in sporadic raids into Israel conducted by Palestinian fedayeen in the 1950s.

Although not much is known about the details of his early life and upbringing, he reportedly had to temporarily drop out of school to support his low-income family, working with his father in upholstery and later starting a small poultry farm. It is understood that he studied chemistry at the Islamic University of Gaza, from which he graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1988.

During his years at the university, he had a passion for theatre, establishing a theatre group called "The Returners", in reference to Palestinian refugees longing to return to the lands they lived on before the Nakba. He played a number of roles, including those of historical figures.

Early militant career

Deif joined Hamas in 1987, weeks after its establishment during the First Intifada against the Israeli occupation. He was arrested by Israeli authorities in 1989 for his involvement with the organization. After 16 months of detention, he was released in a prisoner exchange. Soon after his release, he helped establish the Ezzedeen al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

Deif was close to Emad Akel and Yahya Ayyash, who were assassinated by Israel in 1993 and 1996 respectively. He trained with, and learnt bombmaking from, Ayyash. After Ayyash's assassination, Deif reduced his profile to avoid being targeted. During the 1990s and early 2000s, he was behind a number of suicide bombing attacks, including the 1996 Jaffa Road bus bombings. He also oversaw the kidnappings and later killings of Israeli soldiers Shahar Simani, Aryeh Frankenthal, and Nachshon Wachsman in the 1990s.

In May 2000, Deif was arrested at Israel's request by the Palestinian National Authority, but he escaped in December with assistance from some of his guards.

According to Israeli journalist Ronen Bergman, Deif's campaign of massive retaliation and the failure of Israeli intelligence services to prevent it, was one of the factors that led to the defeat of Prime Minister Shimon Peres and the Israeli Labor Party in the 1996 Israeli general election and the victory of the right-wing Likud party of Benjamin Netanyahu, who opposed the Oslo peace process:

At the beginning of February, Peres was up twenty points in the polls over his opposition, the conservative hawk Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu. By the middle of March, Netanyahu had closed the gap significantly, and Peres led by only five percentage points. On May 29, Netanyahu won by 1 percent of the vote. This was all due to the terror attacks, which Peres simply couldn't stop. Yahya Ayyash's disciples had ensured the right wing's victory and "derailed the peace process," in the words of the deputy head of the Shin Bet, Yisrael Hasson.

After Netanyahu got elected, attacks stopped, with some asserting that this was because Yasser Arafat clamped down on Hamas members, but Bergman insisting that the halt was because the short-term goal of the attacks was to stop the Oslo peace process, and Netanyahu was now working towards the same goal.

Head of the al-Qassam Brigades

Deif became the head of the al-Qassam Brigades after Israel assassinated Salah Shehade in July 2002. Between July 2006 and November 2012, effective command was exercised by Deif's deputy, Ahmed Jabari, after Deif was seriously wounded in an Israeli assassination attempt.

As the overall commander of the al-Qassam Brigades, he is thought to be the main organizer of the raid into Israel that killed two IDF soldiers and captured Gilad Shalit in June 2006, as well as the five-year operations to deceive Mossad and Shin Bet about Shalit's location in Gaza. He was also in charge of the al-Qassam Brigades' procurement of weapons from abroad, overseeing the transfer and manufacturing of Iranian Fajr-5 rocket components into Gaza, and maintained correspondence with Iranian Quds Force commander Esmail Qaani and his predecessor Qasem Soleimani. In a letter, Soleimani had called Deif a "dear brother" and a "living martyr".

In September 2015, the US Department of State added Deif and three other Hamas leaders to the American list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists. In December 2023, the European Union added him to their terror blacklist in 2023.

Shadow Unit

Deif also created the "Shadow Unit" within the al-Qassam Brigades. Among the unit's duties are "to guard enemy captives held by the al-Qassam Brigades, to hide them and to thwart enemy attempts to find them." An al-Qassam video said that the unit "treats enemy captives honorably, in line with the rules of Islam, and provides for their needs, taking into account the treatment given to the prisoners of the resistance in the hands of the enemy."

Strategy

Deif has been credited with transforming the al-Qassam Brigades from a cluster of amateur cells to organized military units, described as an 'army,' that are capable of invading Israel. His military strategy has been dubbed the 'above and below' strategy, built on attacking Israeli territory with rockets and constructing underground tunnels to be used in infiltrating the border with Israel.

Israel–Hamas war

As the highest-ranking leader of the al-Qassam Brigades, Deif was involved in orchestrating the surprise attack on Israel that commenced the Israel–Hamas war, which, according to a source close to Hamas, he began planning in the lead up to the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, motivated by scenes of Israeli forces storming al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan. According to France 24, he was the mastermind behind the attack on 7 October. The decision to launch the attack was taken jointly by Deif and Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

After the attack, a Reuters report stated that over the previous two years, Deif deceived Israel into believing Hamas was not interested in another round of conflict. This deception campaign involved a decision not to participate in the clashes between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad in August 2022 and May 2023, putting Israel under the impression that Hamas "was not ready for a fight" and could be contained by providing economic incentives to Gazan workers.

On the day of the attack, Deif gave an audio address, his first since 2021, justifying it as a response to the "desecration" of the al-Aqsa Mosque and the killing and wounding of hundreds of Palestinians in 2023. He called on Palestinians and Arab Israelis to "expel the occupiers and demolish the walls". Announcing the start of "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm," Deif said that "In light of the continuing crimes against our people, in light of the orgy of occupation and its denial of international laws and resolutions, and in light of American and western support, we've decided to put an end to all this so that the enemy understands that he can no longer revel without being held to account."

On 20 May 2024, a request for an arrest warrant against Deif and four other Palestinian and Israeli leaders was filed by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on several counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as part of its investigation in Palestine. The effort continued into September 2024, with the prosecutor saying that he was gathering information about Deif's "reported death." On 21 November, the court officially indicted Deif for war crimes, stating that he bore responsibility for mass killings, hostage taking and rape during the 7 October attacks. The ICC argued that it was "not in a position to determine whether has been killed or remains alive" following reports that Deif was killed in an Israeli airstrike on 13 July 2024.

On 3 September 2024, the United States Department of Justice announced criminal charges against Deif and other Hamas officials for their roles in the 7 October attack on Israel. The charges, which were filed under seal in February 2024, include conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, and conspiracy to finance terrorism.

Assassination attempts

The Israeli military and security forces have killed numerous members of Deif's family in failed attempts to kill Deif, who was on top of Israel's 'most wanted list' since 1995, and other airstrikes. Deif's survival earned him the nickname 'the cat with nine lives' among his Israeli adversaries. He survived at least seven Israeli assassination attempts.

As of December 2023, Israeli military and security forces have killed Deif's brother, his nephew, his niece, his wife, his 3-year-old daughter, and his 7-month-old son.

Early attempts (2001 to 2006)

The first attempt on his life was by an airstrike in 2001, before he assumed the leadership of the al-Qassam Brigades. Israel tried again to kill Deif in September 2002 by a strike on his car. Video footage from that attempt show Deif covered in blood as a man drags him away.

In 2003 and in July 2006, Israel tried again by striking a house that hosted a meeting of the Hamas leadership. It is also said that the July 2006 attempt was an airstrike on the house of one of Deif's lecturers in university when Deif was visiting him.

Impact on health

After the 2006 assassination attempt, Deif spent three months in Egypt for treatment of his skull after shrapnel lodged in it, and he continued to take daily tranquillizers to treat headaches.

It was believed that the seven assassination attempts had lost Deif an eye and limbs. Hamas did not confirm or deny these claims and did not comment on his health. Footage obtained by the Israeli military in December 2023 showed Deif using both hands and walking on his own two feet, though with a slight limp and occasionally with the aid of a wheelchair.

2014 Gaza war

In August 2014, during the 2014 Gaza War, the Israeli air force attempted to assassinate him with an airstrike on the Deif family home in Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City. Hamas denied that Deif was killed, and his survival was confirmed by Israeli intelligence in 2015.

Two failed attempts in one week (2021)

In May 2021, during the 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis, the Israel military tried to kill Deif twice in one week, but both attempts proved unsuccessful.

October 2023 attack on father's house

In October 2023, during the Israel–Hamas war, Deif's father's house was hit by an Israeli airstrike, killing Deif's brother, nephew, and niece. It was unclear whether or not the airstrike targeted Deif.

July 2024 al-Mawasi attack

On 13 July 2024, he was targeted in an Israeli strike in the al-Mawasi neighborhood of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. According to reports from the Gaza Ministry of Health, at least 90 Palestinians were killed and over 300 injured as a result of the attack. The IDF reported that one of Deif's associates and a mastermind of the 7 October attack, the Khan Yunis Brigade commander Rafa Salama, was among the dead. In relation to Deif, the IDF stated that there were signs that he too had been killed, but they were unable to officially confirm that. Reportedly, a dead body suspected to belong to Deif was recovered from the site but was too badly disfigured to be identified. On 1 August 2024, the IDF announced it had confirmed that Deif died in the 13 July strike. Two weeks after the IDF announced its confirmation, Hamas denied that Deif was killed, with senior Hamas official Osama Hamdan stating in an interview with the Associated Press that Deif was still alive.

In October 2024, Hamas again called Deif's death a lie, while issuing a statement denying the death of Yahya Sinwar. The next day Hamas acknowledged Sinwar's death without making any additional comments about Deif's status. In early November, the London-based Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat reported that Hamas has privately acknowledged Deif's death, but Hamas released a statement denying the newspaper's report.

On November 21, 2024 the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, arguing that it was unable to determine whether Deif had been killed and that the warrant would be withdrawn upon confirmation of his death.

Public image

Deif, the nom de guerre that Mohammed al-Masri took, means 'guest' in Arabic. This is said to refer to Deif staying in a different house each night as a precaution against Israeli attacks. Another explanation said that the name comes from a theatre role he played in his earlier years. He is also known by his kunya Abu Khaled.

Prior to the Israel–Hamas war, only two photos of Deif's face were known to publicly exist, with the most recent one having been taken in the year 2000. He never appears in public, and he rarely gives recorded audio addresses. His whereabouts are unknown, but it is likely that he has stayed in the underground tunnel networks in Gaza. In January 2024, the IDF released a photo of Deif holding a cup of juice in one hand and a stack of U.S. dollars in the other hand. The photo was found in a computer that Israel seized from Hamas.

In spite of his elusiveness, he is highly popular amongst Palestinians for his hardline stance against Israel. He has become a 'folk hero' for his survival of many assassination attempts and has been nicknamed 'the mastermind' by Palestinians. As a sign of his popularity, his name has been featured in protest slogans such as: "Put the sword before the sword, we are the men of Mohammed Deif." His position as a military leader rather than a political one has shielded him from criticism of the Hamas administration of the Gaza Strip.

Personal life

Deif married Widad Asfoura in 2007. Widad, their infant son Ali, and their three-year-old daughter Sarah were killed in the 2014 assassination attempt. They had two other children: Omar, who was injured, and Hala, who was missing for more than two days. Deif had two other sons, Bahaa and Khaled.

Deif's mother died in 2011, and his father in 2022. His family came to the Gaza Strip from further away than most members of Hamas; before 1948 his family lived in al-Qubayba in Central Palestine.

See also

• 13 July 2024 al-Mawasi attack
• Deif family killings
• Ismail Haniyeh
• Marwan Issa

Notes

1. ^ Widad was killed by an Israeli airstrike aimed at Mohammed Deif, that also killed their children Sarah and Ali. Widad had two other children with Deif: Omar survived with minor injuries, and the status of Hala is unknown.
2. The prosecutor's jurisdiction ends with the death of the defendant

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Further reading

• Detailed profile in Arabic from Al Jazeera Arabic

External links

• [REDACTED] Media related to Mohammed Deif at Wikimedia Commons

v t e Hamas
History	Hamas Charter (revised) Fatah–Hamas conflict Takeover of the Gaza Strip 25th anniversary of Hamas (2012)
Political wing	List of leaders of Hamas Hamas government in the Gaza Strip Hamas temporary committee Islamic Salvation Party Khaled Mashal Ismail Haniyeh Yahya Sinwar Basem Naim Ali Baraka Mousa Abu Marzook Zaher Jabarin Essam al-Da'alis Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi hospital Women: Jamila Abdallah Taha al-Shanti Umm Nidal Elections 2005 presidential 2006 legislative
Law and order	Interior Minister of the Gaza Strip Ihab al-Ghussein Police Faiq Mabhouh Palestinian Executive Force [ar] Said Seyam Palestinian law Executions
Military wing	Palestinian Joint Operations Room Al-Qassam Brigades Nukbha Ayman Nofal al-Aqsa Flood Vanguards unit People Leader: Mohammed Deif Spokesperson: Abu Obaida Marwan Issa Yahya Ayyash Adnan al-Ghoul Salah Shehade Mazen Faqha Wa'el Nassar Ahmed Jabari Imad Abbas Emad Akel Nidal Farahat Yunis Al Astal Ahmed Ghandour Women Reem Riyashi Fatma Omar An-Najar Operations Murder of Yaron and Efrat Ungar Sbarro restaurant suicide bombing 2001 Immanuel bus attack 2004 Ashdod Port bombings IDF outpost bombing 2006 Gaza cross-border raid Gaza War (2008–2009) August 2010 West Bank shooting attack 2012 Gaza War 2014 Gaza War 2021 Israel–Palestine crisis 2023 attack on Israel Israel–Hamas war Weapons Al-Bana Batar Qassam rocket Yasin (RPG)
Social services	Islamic University of Gaza Mujama al-Islamiya Palestinian Authority Martyrs Fund
Media	Al-Aqsa TV Tomorrow's Pioneers Al-Aqsa Voice Radio Al-Quds TV Shehab News Agency Al-Watan (defunct)
Foreign relations	Support from (Iran Israel Qatar Turkey) Russia Lebanon
Related articles	Criticism of Hamas Hamas war crimes Hamas most wanted playing cards
Category:Hamas

v t e Targeted killing by Israel
This table is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Global topics	Targeted killings History of assassinations
Israel topics	List of Israeli assassinations Executions and assassinations during the Israel–Hamas war
Gaza topics	Israeli disengagement from Gaza Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip AI-assisted targeting in the Gaza Strip Israeli war crimes
Targets in the Gaza Strip	2004 March 22 Ahmed Yasin (death) April 17 Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi (death) October 21 Adnan al-Ghoul and Imad Abbas 2005 Israeli disengagement from Gaza 2008 Operation Cast Lead 2009 January 15 Said Seyam 2014 July 8 2014 Gaza War August 19 failed attempt to kill Mohammed Deif: Deif family killings 21 Raed al Atar Muhammad Abu Shamala [ar] 2023 October 7 Israel–Hamas war Bombing of the Gaza Strip Executions and assassinations October 17 Ayman Nofal 2024 January Saleh al-Arouri death March 10 Marwan Issa death 19 Faiq Al-Mabhouh July 13 Al-Mawasi Mohammed Deif Rafa Salama October 16 Yahya Sinwar death
Targets in the West Bank	2001 Abu Ali Mustafa See also assassination of Rehavam Ze'evi Shireen Abu Akleh Ibrahim al-Nabulsi legacy
Palestinian targets outside of Palestine	1972 Operation Wrath of God See also: Munich massacre 1972 Ghassan Kanafani Lebanon see also Lod Airport massacre 1995 Fathi Shaqaqi 2010 Mahmoud Al-Mabhouh UAE brother's response 2023 October 7 Israel–Hamas war Executions and assassinations 2024 January 2 Saleh al-Arouri Lebanon July 31 Ismail Haniyeh Iran
Lebanese targets	List of assassinations in Lebanon Israel–Lebanon relations 1992 February 16 Abbas al-Musawi death 2006 July 29 Khalid Bazzi Bint Jbeil 2023 December 27 Ali Ahmed Bazzi Australian dual citizen 2024 September 27 Hassan Nasrallah death 2024 October 3 Hashem Safieddine death
Iranian targets	Iran–Israel relations Operations attributed to Israel in Iran Assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists 2010 November 29 Majid Shahriari 2020 November 27 Mohsen Fakhrizadeh
Others
Assassinations by Israeli non-state actors Yitzak Rabin (killed by Yigal Amir) Assassination of UN mediator by the Lehi
🗝️ KEY	Israel claimed responsibility.  Israel claims they were killed in combat.  Israel denied responsibility.  number of people killed in the same strike, if not all deaths are listed.  unlisted family members confirmed dead.
Category:Extrajudicial killings by the Israeli military

• Living people
• 1965 births
• Hamas military members
• Individuals designated as terrorists by the United States government
• Palestinian Muslims
• Explosion survivors
• Islamic University of Gaza alumni
• People from Khan Yunis Governorate
• People indicted by the International Criminal Court
• Fugitives wanted by the International Criminal Court
• Fugitives wanted on war crimes charges
• People of the Second Intifada