According to telephone conversations recorded by the IDF, people inside Gaza are praising the deaths of Hamas “military” leader Mohammed Deif and his deputy Rafa’a Salameh, who were targeted by an IDF airstrike on July 13
While Salameh’s death has been confirmed by Israel, Deif’s has not. However, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew has stated in public that there are “indications” that the latter is in fact dead.
In the recordings, which were published on Thursday evening Israel time, and then later shared on X, people are overheard praising Deif’s death in Arabic and saying they hope Israel will kill Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar as well.
Col. Avichay Adraee the IDF spokesperson for Arabic media, published the recordings on X and said: “These original voices from deep within the Gaza Strip indicate the feelings of the residents of the Strip towards the leaders of Hamas and their wishes for their elimination so that the war will end.”
While the recordings do not prove that Deif died in the airstrike, it shows that there are at least some people in Gaza who are against the leadership of Hamas and wish for the war to end.
Other posts on social media show videos of boys from the Strip who also ask that the IDF finish off Hamas and take out Sinwar.
No Israeli leader has yet officially said that Deif is dead as there has been no evidence of his body discovered in the ruins of the building that was struck, nor has Hamas made any claim confirming his death. On the contrary, according to a report in the Associated Press, a spokesperson for Hamas told the press agency on Sunday, the day after the attack, that Deif is in good health.
