Security echelon estimates: Mohammed Deif eliminated in Khan Yunis

The IDF on Saturday afternoon confirmed that Israeli security forces attempted to eliminate Mohammed Deif, head of Hamas' military wing and considered one of the terror group's leaders, and the commander of Hamas' Khan Yunis Brigade.

"In a joint IDF and ISA activity based on precise intelligence, the IDF's Southern Command and the IAF carried out a strike in an area where two senior Hamas terrorists and additional terrorists hid among civilians," the IDF confirmed.

"The location of the strike was an open area surrounded by trees, several buildings, and sheds."

Earlier, the IDF had said that the strike was in a "defined terrorist area" and that it was "waiting for the results of the attack." The IDF does not believe that there were hostages in the area around Deif.

Senior sources in the security echelon told the political echelon the results of their situational assessment, namely, that Deif was certainly hit in the strike, but that final confirmation may "take time." They also said that the commander of the Khan Yunis Brigade was definitely killed.

The IDF struck Deif and Rafaa Salama, architects of the October 7 massacre, along with additional terrorists in western Khan Yunis. The attack was carried out using five heavy bombs, each weighing one ton, which buried the entire site underground.

Meanwhile, Hamas has claimed that many dozens of civilians were killed in the attack. Hamas' "Health Ministry" in Gaza claimed Saturday afternoon that at least 71 Gazans were killed in southern Gaza, and another 289 were injured.

The Prime Minister's Office said Saturday afternoon that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu completed a telephone assessment with security sources, the IDF, and the National Security Council. In the coming hours, Netanyahu will call a security-diplomatic meeting with all of the relevant parties, in order to discuss the developments and the next steps.