Hamas military commander Mohammed Taif reportedly survived seven attacks. Not sure if the eighth over the weekend hit him. But one thing is certain: about 100 Palestinians lost their lives in Israeli bombings. And no way out of the war was taken.
He does not stay in one place for long in Gaza, so he is called a “guest”: Mohammed Taif – the head of the Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas. Hunted by the Israeli security apparatus for more than two decades. He is said to be responsible for many bloody attacks against Israel. The “Times of Israel” on October 7, 2023 calls him “the builder”. In Gaza he allegedly survived seven lives and seven attempts to kill Israelis. But what happened on the eighth?
90 Palestinians were reportedly killed in Israel’s eighth attack on Taif last weekend – with a devastating 2,000 kilogram bomb. What the Israelis can’t say for sure right now: Was the terrorist leader among the victims? Hamas vehemently denies this, but would they accept such a defeat so soon after the attack? It is not adept at testing strength with an opponent.
Do chains of command work?
Israelis are now tapping into every available resource to answer the question for themselves. Satellite images, drone footage, material from the Israeli army, but also from the Palestinian side. “At some point we will continue to work with intelligence information,” Middle East expert Peter Lintl told ntv.de. “The Israelis can then intercept information, communications within Hamas, providing information about whether internal chains of command are still functioning.” Or the sudden disappearance of a decisive person at a higher level, causing uncertainty and improvisation to be done.
Saturday’s attack has thrown the densely populated area of ​​al-Mawasi, where Israeli bombs fell, into chaos and misery. “I have never seen so many wounded people admitted at once as today,” said a medical coordinator for Doctors Without Borders (MSF) on Saturday from the last functioning clinic in the southern Gaza Strip. Everywhere in the hospital were “wounded or dead.” MSF also suffered dozens of deaths, hundreds of injuries and a hospital that was completely overwhelmed.
Such a massive attack does not match Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements. He announced in June that the active fighting phase would soon end.
But the hunt for Deif stands out from other battles. Over the past 25 years, the extensive tunnel system under the Gaza Strip was also built under his direction. He had long hid from the Israeli security and armed forces in a maze of corridors.
Now the Israelis apparently know that “he was in a building above ground surrounded by civilians in a crowd of Hamas commanders,” explains Lindel, who researches the Middle East for the Science and Politics Foundation. In his estimation, it was a conscious decision by Tayeb to meet with the commanders in an area declared safe, in the midst of many onlookers. As a region where citizens and refugees are protected from conflict.
So the leader of the Qassam Brigade consciously accepted the danger to the people from his presence. He used his companions as a protective shield. However, at the same time, Taif underestimated how serious the Israeli side would be for the prospect of its elimination: dropping a bomb in the middle of this security zone.
This massive attack – a potential violation of international law once again – sends a message to Hamas. It said: No one who challenges Israel will escape alive like the terrorist attack on October 7. We pay (almost) any price. “This coding factor is important in the goal of removing Muhammad Defi,” Lindel says. The scientist also observes functional effects. Hamas’ capabilities will suffer. Whether someone like Daif can be replaced in a short period of time is questionable.
Hamas continues to plan underground
But considering the peace settlement for Gaza and Israel, it is about the long-term perspective. And there is little in the way of taking individuals out of circulation at enormous cost in blood. Fighting has already flared up in areas already liberated by the Israeli army (IDF) from Hamas. As control weakens, new structures emerge. Israel’s armed forces control most of the Gaza Strip. But underground, in the tunnel city, the Islamists direct all their forces and plan towards one goal: the destruction of Israel. “Wherever the Israeli army turns, you see Hamas come back,” Lindel says. “The Israeli armed forces are now re-maneuvering in Gaza City as Hamas regains strength there.”
The outcome shows what many experts have warned from the start: it will be difficult to permanently remove terrorists from power in Gaza if there is no will to restore public order. Use a system that creates opportunities for Palestinians, but also allows them to control Gaza. The Israelis do not want to exercise this control over Gaza in the future, but at the same time they resist efforts to find another solution. For example, an interim system jointly implemented by neighboring Arab states until a Palestinian solution is reached.
Self-determination for Gaza and security for Israel – these two goals must be linked. But that is difficult to achieve if there are accessible, constructive actors on both sides. But in the Gaza issue, international mediators are dealing with the terrorist organization on one side. On the other hand, there are representatives of a government based on a majority of right-wing extremist parties that openly call for the depopulation of the Gaza Strip. This nut can’t be hard to crack.
“The international community is in a post-war situation where the Palestinians decide for themselves and the Gaza Strip is being rebuilt. With demilitarized and security guarantees for Israel, international forces could take over Gaza,” says Lindel. “But the Israeli government wants to have continued military access to the Gaza Strip or insists on having a partial presence with the military.”
So far, no agreement has been reached between these positions, fueling fears that years of war will continue to smolder in a reduced flame, so reconstruction cannot begin and Palestinians in Gaza face a never-ending emergency.
Nothing happens especially with hostage negotiations. Weeks ago, it looked briefly like the so-called “Biden Plan” would provide an impetus: release the hostages in exchange for a weeks-long ceasefire that would eventually end the war. But the momentum has passed. Now, after the attack on Taif, talks that could only happen through outside mediators seem to have stalled.
1027 prisoners per soldier’s life
Yet this appears to be the only chance to bring home the 120 remaining hostages: a “deal with the devil,” as most Israelis have been demanding for months, increasingly desperate that nothing has happened. To close a deal, Netanyahu would have to override his far-right government partners. They reject a cease-fire and threaten to leave the alliance if a deal falls through.
In Israel, every human life is considered literally “infinitely” valuable. In a bold move, Netanyahu, as prime minister, freed 1,027 Palestinian prisoners several years ago to save one Israeli life: kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit. These days, it will take another bold step from him to finally say, “I won’t let right-wing extremists threaten me another day.” With this, Netanyahu can save 120 people who are still alive. The fighting in the Gaza Strip will end and the suffering of the people there will be alleviated. The situation in the north could also calm down, as Hezbollah wants to continue shelling Israel as long as Gaza is still under fire. A bold move by the Prime Minister – a perspective suddenly emerges in a situation that seemed hopeless, desperate and deadly.
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