Hamas on Wednesday released a recording attributed to Mohammed Deif, the commander of the terror group’s military wing, with Arab media claiming the clip was taped during the Oct. 7 massacre.
“Our people in Jordan and Lebanon, in Egypt, Algeria, the Maghreb, in Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia and in all parts of the Arab and Islamic world,” says Deif in the 35-second audio clip.
“Begin marching today, now and not tomorrow, towards Palestine, and do not let borders, regulations, or restrictions deprive you of the honor of jihad and participation in the liberation of Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he continues.
“Go forth, light and heavy, and strive with your money and your lives in the path of God,” concludes the terror leader.
Deif is said to have directed the Oct. 7 massacre, making him a prime target for Israeli forces. On Oct. 11, the Israeli Air Force hit the home of Deif’s father, killing his brother along with his brother’s wife and children.
The IDF has urged Palestinians in Gaza to help locate Deif, with flyers dropped in the Strip promising up to $100,000 for information on his whereabouts.
On Oct. 7, Deif reportedly called on Arabs and Muslims across the Middle East to “set the Earth on fire under the feet of the occupiers [Israel].”
He released an audio message in which he dubbed Hamas’s multi-pronged attack “Operation Al-Aqsa Flood” and called to “expel the occupiers and demolish the walls” of the Jewish state.
Though Israeli intelligence agencies believed for years that Deif was paraplegic, Israeli forces in Gaza uncovered videos of him walking, though with a slight limp, Israel’s Maariv daily reported late last year.
On Jan. 7, the IDF released a new picture of Deif, roughly a quarter-century after the only confirmed image of the terror chief was first made public. He can be seen outdoors holding a drink and U.S. dollar bills.
The undated picture, which was reportedly obtained during intelligence operations in Gaza, shows Deif limping and missing one eye, ostensibly due to Israeli attempts on his life, which he narrowly escaped. JNS
