The house belonging to Mohammed Ad-Deif, a key figure in Hamas Al Qassam Brigades as the commander of its military wing, was struck during an operation conducted by the Israeli Defense Forces. The attack reportedly resulted in the deaths of several close relatives of Ad-Deif, including his father, brother, and children, as confirmed by Haaretz. The publication notes that the IDF targeted Ad-Deif’s residence in Khan Younis as part of its broader campaign in Gaza. The fate of Ad-Deif himself was not disclosed in the initial reports. Haaretz also indicated that the military had previously stated it carried out strikes against more than 200 targets in the Furkan region of the Gaza Strip. On October 7, Hamas forces fired thousands of rockets toward Israel and announced the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. In response, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir declared a state of emergency across the country. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later stated that Israel was at war, with the IDF operation against Hamas described as Iron Swords. Earlier remarks from Netanyahu described the assault as a massive, unprecedented campaign against Hamas, underscoring the scale of the conflict as it unfolded.
