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A one-eyed Hamas chief who launched "the greatest battle" against Israel is known as a "cat with nine lives" after surviving a swathe of assassination attempts.
Mohammed Deif announced the start of "Operation Al-Aqsa Storm" today (October 7), which saw thousands of rockets rain down on Israel's towns and cities. He said it was his goal to "set the earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers."
"This is the day of the greatest battle end the last occupation on earth," he said on media channels run by the organisation, which has been designated a terrorist group by the UK.
READ MORE: Nostradamus predicted new 'great war' after Ukraine as Israel blasted by rockets
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In response Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting of top security bosses this morning before making the announcement, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to declare: "We are at war."
Deif is well-known to Israeli authorities and has survived some seven assassination attempts over the last two decades. He has even been dubbed a "cat with nine lives" by his enemies.
"Throughout the operation, we have tried to assassinate Mohammed Deif," Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Hidai Zilberman said, as reported by the New York Times.
Deif, born Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, is known as one of Hamas' more uncompromising leaders. "He's considered to be a particularly hardline Hamas official," Middle East security analyst Matthew Levitt told the BBC.
In 2002 Deif took over as Hamas' military leader following the assassination of the group's founder, Salah Shehadeh. Since then he has risen to infamy and is credited with creating the group's signature weapon, the Qassam rocket.
He is also believed to have been responsible for digging a network of tunnels under Gaza. It is believed he spends most of his time in the underground hideouts, dodging assassination or capture by Israeli forces.
At least two attempts were made on Deif's life during an 11-day conflict between Israel and Hamas back in May. The brawl broke out after the military man warned Israel would pay a "heavy price" if it didn't meet Hamas' demands.
Some 255 people were killed – 242 Palestinians and 13 Israelis – before a ceasefire was agreed.
Another four assassination attempts were made during the 2000s, and while Deif wasn't killed he did suffer serious injuries. This included the loss of one of his eyes and some limbs, according to reports from Israel.
"People thought he would never function again as a leader, as a military planner," the retired Israeli general told the BBC. "But he recovered as well as he could. If you lose an eye, you lose an eye."
Deif survived a fifth assassination attempt during a 2014 military operation in Gaza by Israel.
Deif's wife, Widad, and their infant son, Ali, were both killed in the attack. But while Israeli authorities thought the strike had killed the military man too, Hamas later revealed in a statement he was "still alive and leading [their] military operation".
Today dozens were killed in the surprise onslaught against Israel at the hands of the terror group. Hamas also claimed to have taken at least 50 Israelis – both IDF fighters and civilians – hostage, and said many of them were now dead.
A number of settlements near the border between the two countries are now under Hamas control, according to local media.
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- Terror
- Military
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