Mohammad Deif was born in 1965 in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. His family traces their roots back to the village of Kochva, which existed in the Ashkelon area until 1948. During his formative years, Deif became associated with the Muslim Brotherhood.
When Hamas terrorists shattered a celebratory holiday in Israel on October 7th, many around the world placed the blame on Iran. The barbaric acts of rape, torture, and murder that affected over 1400 Israelis, including more than 1100 civilians, including babies, women, and the elderly, clearly bore the hallmarks of Iran's involvement. Whether Iran was directly involved in the planning and execution of the attack is not the focus here; they are complicit due to the financial support and counsel they have provided to the Palestinian terror group over the years. However, there is another guilty party, one that most people are aware of, but due to their position and status within the West, many have chosen to overlook it. That was the case until this past week.
A few hours after the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) demolished his residence in Samaria, near Ramallah, and as Israeli forces increase their presence in the Gaza Strip, it is an opportune moment to shed light on the founder of Hamas' militant wing, Saleh Al-Arouri.
Approximately two weeks ago, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, returned to the international headlines when he was linked to the deadly surprise attack carried out by the al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas's military wing, on Israel townships surrounding Gaza on the morning of Saturday, October 7.
Over the weekend, Israel welcomed two prominent members of the Biden administration: Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. These high-profile visits carried both symbolic and pragmatic implications for Israel's relationship with the United States.