JERUSALEM, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Israel's military confirmed on Thursday that Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas's military wing, was killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza in July, following weeks of uncertainty about his condition after the attack.
An Israeli airstrike targeted Deif on July 13, but Hamas denied he was in the area during the attack.
"Following an intelligence assessment, it can be confirmed that Mohammed Deif was eliminated in the strike," Israel's military said in a press statement.
There was no immediate comment from Hamas.
Israel's military said that Deif was killed by a warplane bombing in Khan Yunis. At least 90 other people were killed in the bombing, according to Palestinian health authorities. Israel also said that Rafa'a Salameh, the commander of Hamas's Khan Yunis Brigade, was killed in the bombing.
Deif, 58, head of Hamas's armed wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, had survived at least seven previous assassination attempts by Israel.
Ranked number two in Hamas in Gaza, Deif commanded Hamas's operations during the ongoing conflict, issuing directives to senior members of its military wing, according to the Israeli military. ■
