Mohammed Deif
Palestinian militant, commander-in-chief of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Mohammed Deif is the head of staff in the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement.
Quick Facts Birth name, Nickname ...
Mohammed Deif محمد الضيف | |
---|---|
Birth name | Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri |
Nickname | Abu Khaled (kunya)
The mastermind (Palestinian nickname) The cat with nine lives (Israeli nickname) |
Born | 1965 (age 58–59) Khan Yunis refugee camp, Gaza Strip (under Egyptian rule) |
Allegiance | Hamas (Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades) |
Years of service | 1987–present |
Rank | Chief of Staff (2002–present) |
Battles/wars |
|
Close
He was born in 1965 in the Khan Yunis Refugee Camp inside the Gaza Strip that was set up by Israel after the 1948 Palestine War.[1][2]
He joined the Hamas movement in 1987[3][4] and went by the alias Mohammed Deif, which means guest in the Arabic language, possibly referring to how he would live like a nomad to not be targeted by the government of Israel.
In 2015 and 2023 respectively, he was designated a terrorist by the EU and USA.[5][6][7]