Defence experts have identified four reasons behind the successful rocket attacks by the Palestinian Hamas Movement on Israel in the early hours of October 7, 2023. Those are: Two and a half years of relentless planning, efficiency in launching rockets, two extremely loyal commanders and fighters inspired by jihad.
Apart from making the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad fool, Hamas' October 7 terror attacks in Israel (known as Operation Ten-Seven) triggered a doubt about the effectiveness of Tel Aviv's Iron Dome missile defence system. Israel faced unprecedented attacks from Gaza on the Jewish holy day of Simchat Torah because of a foolproof plan prepared by Mohammed Deif (born Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Masri), the Supreme Military Commander of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas). The impact of the bloody October 7 event is practically equal to that of 9/11 terror attacks on the US.
Reuters has reported that Deif decided to retaliate in May 2021 after nearly 300 Palestinians died during a 15-day war with Israel. He also vowed to avenge Israeli attack on the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem (during the Holy month of Ramadan) in April 2023. The Supreme Military Commander of Hamas successfully carried out his mission on October 7. His al-Qassam Brigades reportedly fired 5,000 rockets into several Israeli towns within 20 minutes. Attacks took place across the border, as Hamas members entered Israel through land and water. As a result, the number of Jewish military and civilian casualties crossed the 1,000-mark.
Media reports suggest that Deif's accomplice in plotting the October 7 attacks was Yahya Sinwar, the current Palestinian leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip who took over from Ismail Haniyeh in February 2017. A handful of others from the al-Qassam Brigades were also involved in the planning. However, they kept the plan secret from most of Hamas' top political leadership. Israeli intelligence officers had no prior information about the October 7 rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip because of this impeccable secrecy. Ali Baraka, the head (External Relations) of Hamas Movement, was aware of the terror attacks. "We have prepared for this battle for two years," he stressed.
The Standing Man At The Burning West Asia
The 57-year-old Deif has been on Israel's Most Wanted list for more than two decades. The Supreme Military Commander of al-Qassam Brigades has come to the centre of discussions yet again since the October 7 terror attacks. The Palestinian national has been heading the military wing of Hamas since 2022, as he is the mastermind of various terror attacks in Israel in recent times. Currently, he is not fully fit and spends his days on a wheelchair. Still, the commander leads the Hamas forces. He lost one of his eyes, an arm and a leg during an Israeli air strike 20 years ago. Although Deif somehow survived the air strike, he is still able to lead the al-Qassam Brigades.
Earlier, Gaza was under the occupation of Egypt. Deif was born in a refugee camp in Gaza in 1965. He studied at the local Islamic University. Deif was just two when Israel captured Gaza in June 1967. In the 1950s, his father had fought alongside the armed Palestinians in the same area targeted by Hamas on October 7. Deif grew up in a war-like environment from a young age.
Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the 1980s, and a revolt began in Palestine against this illegal occupation. After its formation in 1987, Hamas carried out suicide attacks in Israel. Israel sent Deif to prison for his alleged involvement in that incident. While studying at the Islamic University of Gaza, Deif became acquainted with the Hamas Movement. Quite a number of Palestinian leaders joined the Liberation Movement at that period of time. Since then, Deif has carried out terror attacks on Israel on a number of occasions.
Deif somehow managed to survive an Israeli air strike 20 years ago. However, he lost an eye, an arm and a leg. The air strike claimed the lives of own brother and two other members of his family. Israel has reportedly made at least seven attempts to assassinate Deif, but failed to do so each and every time. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) raided a house in 2014 in an attempt to eliminate Deif. Although his wife and two children perished in the attack, Deif survived. Immediately after the Hamas Movement shocked Israel by entering Israeli territory and launching rocket attacks on the West Asian nation on October 7 morning, the Supreme Military Commander of al-Qassam Brigades stated that Gaza has been under siege for 16 years, and that Israel would have to pay a heavy price.
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